Talking about cancer is to save lives, “said Professor Soro Kounélé, director of cabinet of the Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, during the official launch of a vast campaign to raise awareness and screening for breast and cervix cancers on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at the Korhogo CHR. Initiated by the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene in partnership with the Roche Côte d’Ivoire laboratory, this free campaign aims to inform and detect at least 1,000 women in the Poro region. However, the objective was widely exceeded from the second day, with 1,476 women already detected, according to the organizers.
The campaign, which started on June 26, takes place on ten sites, including eight in Korhogo and two in Sinématiali. Any suspicious or confirmed case is taken care of immediately, thanks to rapid medical orientation. Professor Soro urged community, religious and associative leaders to actively get involved in this health action: “No campaign, however well conceived, can succeed without the mobilization of populations.
For his part, Dr. Koko Louis, representative of Roche Côte d’Ivoire, recalled that prevention goes through information, early detection and access to processing, fundamental rights for all women. He also announced an investment of more than 100 million FCFA for the implementation of an anatomopathology laboratory in Korhogo, in order to bring specialized exams closer to patients in the region.
This project is part of a strategic partnership concluded in December 2024 between the State of Côte d’Ivoire and Roche Côte d’Ivoire. This partnership provides for an annual investment of more than 2 billion FCFA, intended to improve access to advanced medical equipment for screening, radiotherapy, surgery and innovative treatments.
It aims to position Côte d’Ivoire as a regional center of excellence in the management of cancer, but also of pathologies such as hemophilia A, renal anemia and ophthalmological conditions. A strong message has been launched: screening saves lives. The fight against cancer is everyone’s business.
Jean Prisca
