On the 4th of February every year, the world unites to raise awareness on fundamental cancer issues.
Between 2022 and 2024, the focus of World Cancer Day is to help “Close the cancer gap.” This year marks the third and final year of the campaign.
The theme for this year is “Together, we challenge those in power”. This theme encompasses the global demand for leaders to prioritize and invest in cancer prevention and care and to do more to achieve a just and cancer-free world.
The cancer situation in Africa is disheartening. In the year 2020, approximately 1.1 million new cancer cases occurred on the continent, with around 700 000 deaths. About 50% of new cancer cases in adults in Africa are due to breast, cervical, prostate, colorectal, and liver cancers.
If urgent measures are not taken, cancer mortality in the region is projected to reach about one million deaths per year by 2030. Also, in 20 years, cancer death rates in Africa will overtake the global average of 30%. This is more so because cancer survival rates in the WHO African region currently average 12%, much lower than the average of over 80% in High-Income Countries.
