Our Approach
Our Approach
Cancer: A Silent Tragedy
In Africa, cancers of the cervix and breast are not just diseases, but tragedies. Tragedies played out in the theatres of silence in informal settlements, squatter camps, peri-urban communities and rural villages, where women have no voice and the prevailing belief is that cancer is a disease of shame, often associated with a fatalistic curse for having lived an immoral life, or some form of witchcraft.
Scope of the Challenge
-
Women's cancers (breast and cervix) are the most commonly diagnosed types of cancer and the most frequent causes of cancer-related death in Africa.
-
324,232 women's cancers (breast 198,533; cervix 125,699) were diagnosed across the African continent in 2022.
-
171,868 deaths due to women's cancers (91,252 breast; 80,614 cervix) occurred across the African continent in 2022.
- Ref: GLOBOCAN 2022​​​
-
-
​Maternal cancer orphans
-
​Approximately 1 million children across the world are orphaned each year due to their mother's death from cancer. In sub-Saharan Africa, for every maternal cancer death more than one child is left behind as an orphan, exacerbating the cycle of poverty and social hardships.
-
Ref: International Agency for Research on Cancer; WHO 2024
-
Status of Cancer Care in Africa
-
By 2030 more than 1 million Africans will die each each year from cancer.
-
Most cancers in Africa are detected at an advanced stage due to lack of screening programs and poor public awareness
-
Only half of the 54 African countries have a single radiotherapy machine.
-
There is a severe shortage of oncologists and specialists for hundreds of millions of people.
-
Cancer survival rates in Africa are 50% lower than in the Western world.
Barriers to Cancer Care
In sub-Saharan Africa, misconceptions and myths about cancer often lead to self-victimization and delays in care-seeking only after symptoms become unbearable. When women finally do seek care, they often find ill-equipped health facilities and healthcare professionals who lack the specialized training required to execute proper care. Poverty and affordability of clinical services are also barriers, with an average wage of $4.48 USD per day for most individuals.
Ref: data.worldbank.org, Sept 2024
Weak Healthcare Systems
Decades of underinvestment in healthcare systems have led to inadequate infrastructure, a lack of trained healthcare professionals, and vast shortages of clinical services. Friends of Africa, Inc. works with African Ministries of Health, public and private healthcare facilities, and local providers to help build and strengthen cancer care ecosystems in resource-constrained environments.
