Published in News
Cancer morbidity and mortality rates are increasing in Africa and the medical treatment and support that enhances the quality of life for the chronically ill is imperative. This should be supported out of respect for the patients and because it is the humane and moral thing to do.
This should be supported out of respect for the patients and because it is the humane and moral thing to do.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2008, it was estimated there were 715,000 new cases of cancer and 542,000 cancer deaths reported in the sub-Saharan Africa.
Reliable data and trends from the region identifying cancer patients, obtaining accurate diagnostic information for those with cancer, treatment facilities, and mortality rates are scarce, due to a lack of comprehensive registration and data collection framework in the region.
There are few and very weak cancer care resources in Africa. A significant number of the cancer diseases can be treated if diagnosed early and yet very few are able to seek and afford treatment as the costs are beyond the reach of many patients. A majority of the cancer cases are often diagnosed in the later stages of the disease in an environment where palliative care services and pain medicines are not available.
Cancer is not a donor priority
Evident physical deformities in some cases are also associated with witchcraft. The excessive treatment expense often leads to discrimination by family members due to the financial burden. Many cancer patients simply die never having seen a doctor and never knowing what actually killed them.
National public health priorities are also influenced by the international donor community as programs are initiated where there are available funding resources to implement them. Currently funding resources are directed to competing communicable diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Access to quality and acceptable health care is a fundamental human right and is an important public good which national governments are mandated to provide. It is unacceptable for chronically ill cancer patients to be subjected to distressing and inhumane treatment due to a poor health governance framework. Public health advocates have called for resource appropriate interventions and development of research capacity within the continent.
Interventions through educational awareness campaigns and early detection programs though important, will play a limited role in improving cancer care in Africa. There needs to be investment in improved diagnosis, accessible and affordable treatment programs, palliative care facilities, training of cancer specialists and more support programs for the caregivers.
Effective and efficient national control policies that firmly place cancer as a public health priority on the national agenda should be established and implemented.
For more informraiton visit Twitter @CancerAfrica and the website cancerafrica.org