Tackling the rising burden of breast cancer in Africa
Interview with Dr Magda Robalo and Kgothatso Motumi of the Africa Breast Cancer Council, sharing breast cancer solutions at the Africa Health Agenda International Conference in Kigali.
What is the Africa Breast Cancer Council and what does it seek to achieve?
MR: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Africa. It’s causing nearly 40 per cent of cancer deaths and rates are rising quickly. The Africa Breast Cancer Council is a group of African experts formed last year with the aim of improving breast cancer outcomes for women. We’re a diverse group of (mostly) women from all over the continent – oncologists, surgeons, an economist, a former minister of health – using our experience, our networks and our collective voice to try to catalyse progress for women.
What is the state of breast cancer in Africa today?
KM: African countries have the highest breast cancer death rates globally. Only 50 per cent of women are expected to be alive five years after a diagnosis, compared with 90 per cent of women in high-income countries. Most African women with breast cancer are diagnosed too late; those who are diagnosed often don’t receive the treatment they need. This has profound consequences, not just on the women themselves, but on their families (breast cancer is creating 90,000 maternal orphans a year), and also on economies as we see such a huge loss of productivity with all these women dying.
Why are breast cancer rates rising so quickly across Africa?
MR: By 2045, the World Health Organization predicts the region will see a doubling in breast cancer cases. This trend is due to rising life expectancies, combined with shifts in lifestyles. Some of the main risk factors are smoking, drinking alcohol, high body weight, elevated blood sugar, and lack of exercise. This is why health education and prevention are also such an important part of tackling cancer.
What are some of the barriers for African governments trying to address this trend?
MR: Women often lack awareness about the symptoms. They also lack access to health care, because of geographical and financial barriers. Diagnosis is happening very late, mostly when the disease is in the later stages when it’s harder and more expensive to treat. Women also face limited choices for treatment, or the fear of financial burden can result in them not choosing to follow through with their treatment plans. So, countries need to push forward national breast cancer plans that address all these drivers together.
Why are you in Kigali this week?
KM: We’re in Kigali for the Africa Health Agenda International Conference, a gathering of health leaders, to raise the profile of breast cancer and put the spotlight on solutions being rolled out across the continent. There’s so much we can learn from experiences in different countries; one of our main aims is to facilitate knowledge sharing through an event we’re hosting here on the sidelines of the conference which includes ministers and key figures in breast cancer from Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Rwanda as well as Africa Breast Cancer Council members.
What are some of the lessons you’ll be sharing from around the continent?
MR: We’ve looked at some of the African countries that are doing better in terms of outcomes and some of the things they have in common are:
- High level support to improve breast cancer care coming from the very top of government.
- A strong national cancer control plan and an integrated focus on women’s cancers so that we’re driving efficiencies by treating the woman – for example combining cervical and breast cancer checks – rather than looking at each disease in isolation.
- A commitment to attracting investment into health systems to enable them to bolster dedicated breast cancer care – from screening and early diagnosis to all the treatment options like radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery. Training specialised health workers is a key part of this – we need a lot more oncologists, nurses, and surgeons to deliver quality breast cancer care.
Which countries are seeing the best outcomes against breast cancer?
KM: One example is Egypt where the Presidential Initiative on Women’s Health has dramatically cut the percentages of women presenting in the later stages of breast cancer and reduced time from symptom recognition to diagnosis to well below the World Health Organization’s target of 60 days.
We have a member of this initiative speaking at our Kigali event because it serves as a tangible example of an equitable, evidence-based, cost-effective strategy that has yielded impressive results.
Dr Magda Robalo | President and Co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development and Africa Breast Cancer Council member
Dr Robalo is President and Co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development. An infectious disease physician and former Minister of Public Health in Guinea-Bissau, she has played a leading role in global health initiatives and public health policy.
Dr Kgothatso Motumi | General Manager of Roche Products Ghana and Africa Breast Cancer Council Co-chair
Dr Motumi is Co-chair of the Africa Breast Cancer Council and the General Manager of Roche Products Ghana, where she oversees the company’s strategic and operational priorities in delivering transformative healthcare solutions.
