Nam records over 4 200 cancer cases annually
Namibia is facing a rising cancer burden, with new annual diagnoses estimated at over 4,200 according to the latest GLOBOCAN data. Health officials are calling for urgent, coordinated action to improve prevention and public awareness.
Why it matters
The increase in non-communicable diseases places significant strain on healthcare systems in developing nations, necessitating policy shifts and increased investment.
Namibia is now estimated to record 4 205 new cancer diagnoses every year, a substantial increase from the approximately 3 700 annual cases reported in previous estimates.
This is according to the newly released Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) 2024 estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization’s (WHO) specialised cancer agency, which have painted a sobering picture for Namibia.
Data entry to GLOBOCAN is from the Cancer Registry at the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN).
“Cancer is no longer a future challenge, it is one of Namibia’s most pressing public health priorities. Our response, fellow Namibians, must therefore be equally urgent, coordinated, and impactful,” said CAN CEO Ralf Hansen.
With an age-standardised incidence rate (ASR) of 202.2 per 100 000 population, Namibia remains among the countries with the highest cancer incidence rates in Africa.
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