A group of African women leaders have come together to form the Africa Breast Cancer Council, with the support of Roche, one of the world’s largest biotech companies.
The Africa Breast Cancer Council is a response to the growing burden of breast cancer on the African continent. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in Africa and causes the most cancer-related deaths. Only one in two women in sub-Saharan Africa are currently expected to survive for five years after receiving a diagnosis.
The Council members, drawn from multiple fields, will leverage their extensive, diverse and complementary experience to guide and drive policy change in their home countries and across the continent. They will encourage increased collaboration, better data collection, and improved patient outcomes. The Council’s work will seek to foster systemic improvements in healthcare infrastructure, access, and funding, driving sustainable, scalable impact for breast cancer care. The Council will focus initially on African healthcare systems which are open to partnership and innovation, then move to scale this work across the continent.
Dr Magda Robalo, Africa Breast Cancer Council member, and President and Co-founder of the Institute for Global Health and Development said:
“Most African women with breast cancer are diagnosed too late and, even after a diagnosis, many do not receive the treatment they need. This egregious injustice is utterly preventable. In response, the Africa Breast Cancer Council will work to shape policies and advocate for governments to urgently commit the resources needed.”
Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, Africa Breast Cancer Council member and Chairperson, First Ladies Against Cancer Initiative, said: “As women’s health champions, we have come together to accelerate action on the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among African women. I talk to women all the time whose knowledge of risk factors and early symptoms is poor. On top of that, is fear: fear of stigmatization, along with women’s fear of being a financial burden, stop them from seeking treatment.”
It can take more than six months for women in Africa to receive a breast cancer diagnosis after noticing symptoms, due in part to healthcare system inefficiencies and limited access to specialised care. This contributes to 60-70% of African women receiving a diagnosis in the late stage, reducing chances of survival and increasing cancer care costs with more expensive therapies and longer hospital stays. This is exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the importance of breast self-examinations, along with widespread stigma surrounding breast cancer treatment. The Council will work at a national level to reduce the time to diagnosis from six months to 60 days.
Dr Miriam Mutebi,Africa Breast Cancer Council member and Breast Cancer Surgical Oncologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi said: “This Council has chosen to launch during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to start raising our collective voice, alongside others committed to reducing the unacceptable toll of breast cancer on African women.As the work progresses, we will be highlighting the critical gaps that different countries in Africa need to close, to speed up effective breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship.”
Wendy Cupido, Africa Breast Cancer Council Co-chair and General Manager at Roche South Africa and Sub Region said: “Every woman on this Council has a day job that plays an important role in the fight against breast cancer. Our aim in coming together is to channel our knowledge, expertise, relationships and energy into a collective voice, and a collective force, to focus on significant areas of concern.”
Soraya Mellali, Africa Breast Cancer Council Chair and former Executive Director, African Development Bank Group said: “Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in Africa. As the Chair of the Africa Breast Cancer Council, I am proud to unite with Africa’s foremost experts and influential voices to break the cycle of late diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and preventable deaths. Our multi-disciplinary approach underscores the understanding that only through relentless collaboration and action can we change the future of breast cancer in our communities.”
