Annual cancer deaths in sub-Saharan Africa projected to reach one million by 2030, almost doubling from the rates in 2020
Commission finds that annual cancer deaths in sub-Saharan Africa could reach 1 million by 2030, almost double the 520,000 deaths from cancer that happened in 2020.
The Commission, made up of national and international experts from healthcare and academia, offers a framework that can be utilised by governments and NGOs to boost access to cancer care, speed up cancer prevention and increase survival in SSA. The study also noted that cervical cancer was responsible for most cancer deaths and was the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in 27 countries .
The news release also lists the reasons for a substantial portion of the cancer burden in SSA, including infectious diseases , tobacco use, alcohol consumption in men, and daily high-calorie intake. The Commission does note that there has been some silver lining: as the first low-income country to have implemented a national HPV vaccination programme, Rwanda was so successful that the country became one of the countries with the highest HPV vaccination coverage worldwide.