Experts Blame High Cost, Doctor Shorta
Health experts at the Best of ASCO Africa Conference have called for urgent, data-driven action to address Africa's rising cancer burden. Prof. Usman Aliyu highlighted the critical shortage of oncologists and the need for better coordination to prevent systemic healthcare collapse.
Why it matters
Cancer mortality rates in Africa are outpacing those of major infectious diseases, necessitating a shift from policy discussion to implementation.
The Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, Prof. Usman Aliyu, on Saturday called for data-driven investments and stronger coordination to tackle Africa’s growing cancer burden, saying the continent must move beyond discussions to concrete action. This came as healthcare experts warned that while global scientific breakthroughs are accelerating, millions of African patients are being completely left behind. With fewer than 100 clinical oncologists available to treat hundreds of thousands of patients in major nations like Nigeria, and systemic “brain drain” pulling specialists to Western countries, the continent’s fragmented health systems are collapsing under a rapidly rising disease burden that now kills more Africans annually than HIV, malaria, and tuberc Aliyu made the call during a panel session at the Best of ASCO Africa Conference, organised by the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment in partnership with the Africa Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer.…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in