The African Breast Cancer Council (ABCC), created in 2024, works in favor of WHO’s objectives. He develops and defends concrete and evolving policies that improve the fight against breast cancer. By connecting and bringing together leaders, political decision -makers and experts from the continent, the Council supports governments’ efforts to make breast cancer a national health priority and strives to support collaboration between stakeholders.
Dr Kgothatso Motumi, co -president of this African Council and Director General of Roche Products, explains the alarming situation here in Africa and the prospects for the struggle.
According to scientific analysis of current data, what are the main causes of breast cancer in the world?
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world. It is the main cause of cancer death in women, in disproportionately affecting low and intermediate income countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), certain factors increase the risk of breast cancer, including advanced age, obesity, harmful alcohol consumption, family history, exposure to radiation, smoking and reproductive aspects (such as the age of the rules and the age of first pregnancy). About half of the breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable risk factor other than sex (female) and age (over 40).
Why does Africa record high rates of breast cancer?
Africa holds the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. In sub -Saharan Africa, for example, the incidence increased by 247% between 1990 and 2019. By 2045, WHO provides that the number of cases will double in this region to reach 400,000. This trend is due to the increase in life expectancy on the continent, combined with lifestyle changes, of which we cite five main risk factors: Tabagism high, high blood sugar and lack of physical exercise.
How do you explain the low survival rates of patients in Africa?
The African continent also displays mortality rates by the highest breast cancer: only 50 % of women should survive five years after diagnosis, against 90 % in high income countries. These low survival rates are due to a late diagnosis: 77 % of women are only diagnosed in stage 3 or 4 of the disease, while the treatment is much more difficult. African health systems must invest more to provide all women with full care of breast cancer which will enhance this rate increase. We must set up large -scale awareness programs to teach women to identify the symptoms of breast cancer and to take the necessary measures. Then, we must of course guarantee access to better quality care where they are, so that they can be diagnosed quickly and oriented towards appropriate treatments. African countries must give priority to the strengthening of health personnel specializing in cancerology and the development of infrastructure to offer the care that all women deserve.
Why was the African Breast Cancer Council created?
The African Breast Breast Cancer Council Breast Cancer Council was created last year (2024) in response to this alarming trend and the worsening of mortality rates due to breast cancer. This advice brings together leading African women – including economists, health professionals, oncologists, first ladies and former ministers – who undertake to advance the care of breast cancer in Africa. Based on the experience and knowledge of its members, the Council Sharing convincing data with African governments and pleads in favor of systemic changes likely to increase the survival rates of women.
What are the main initiatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African Breast Cancer Council (ABCC) to combat the current phenomenon of breast cancer infections?
The World Health Organization launched its global initiative against breast cancer in 2021, which defined three pillars for the struggle as well as the regional objectives to be achieved by countries by 2040.
These objectives are focused on:
● Early screening: Increase the proportion of breast cancers detected at the early stages (I and II) from 30% to 60%.
● Acceleration of diagnosis: Reduce the average time between recognition of symptoms and treatment from 183 days to 60 days.
● Improvement of therapeutic results: to improve survival rates so that eight in ten women diagnosed with breast cancer survive, against five out of ten.
The African Breast Cancer Council (ABCC) works in favor of WHO’s objectives by developing and defending concrete and evolving policies that improve the struggles of struggle. By connecting and bringing together leaders, political decision -makers and experts, the Council supports the efforts of governments to make breast cancer a national health priority and strives to support collaboration between the various stakeholders.
How does the African Breast Cancer Council intend to collaborate with public health institutions in African countries to combat breast cancer?
An essential aspect of the work of the African Breast Cancer Council is to bring together players from the public and private sectors. Our role is not to implement the struggle, but to serve as a channel for collecting and sharing convincing ideas and data on effective solutions on the continent. Public health institutions have an essential role in playing in these discussions, and public-private partnerships prove to be precious in many African countries, where they have enabled the creation of more specialized cancer centers.
How does the Council work to develop and promote initiatives aimed at achieving the objectives set?
The Council (ABCC) strives to identify and highlight the critical gaps that African countries must fill to accelerate the diagnosis and the effective treatment of breast cancer, by raising awareness of this disease as a national health priority. We are working to promote political dialogue and support policies changes in priority countries, emphasizing public funding and resource allocation for education, treatment and care related to breast cancer. We also plead in favor of the resources necessary to improve access to care and explore innovative solutions for the fight, by emphasizing the creation of strategic partnerships and by facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Who are the people and key partners of the African Breast Cancer Council?
I am very proud to co -reside a group of women pioneers from the whole African continent. In Ghana, we welcome Dr. Verna Vanderpuye, principal consultant at the Ghanaian national center for radiotherapy, oncology and nuclear medicine. Verna received the international mentoring prize “women who conquer cancer” in 2019 and is also treasurer of the African organization for the research and treatment of cancer. Among our other West African members, there are Nigeria, Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, president of the initiative of the first ladies against cancer and elected president of the International Union against Cancer (UICC). From Guinea-Bissau, we welcome Dr. Magda Robalo, former Minister of Health, currently president and co-founder of the Institute for World Health and Development.
The council also benefits from the support of Roche. For more information, visit the site: https://africa.roche.com/stories/africa-breast-cancer-council.
The last conference of the African Breast Cancer Council in Kigali in March 2025 was a success. How can such events bring together the best experts to find solutions to the problem in Africa?
The event we organized in Kigali (Rwanda), in March 2025, brought on the theme “Filling disparities: advancing breast cancer care among African women”. It was held within the framework of the International Conference of the African Health Agenda, an important biennial gathering of health leaders. We had the pleasure of welcoming ministers and senior officials from several African countries who have exchanged ideas, testimonies and successful experiences. We also intend to organize more events of this type by sharing impact evidence and amplifying the examples of success.
What are the main expectations of the African Council in terms of prevention and management of breast cancer over the next decade?
The members of the African Breast Cancer Council are animated by a common vision: a future where each African woman will have access to fast, fair and vital care. At first, we intervene in ten countries identified as being at the origin of transformative progress in the management of breast cancer and inspiring actions on the whole continent. These priority countries are: Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Tunisia. The Council does not implement or finances care against cancer. But by bringing us together, by connecting, by collecting information and sharing it, we offer political orientations to support governments in their approach aimed at transforming the care of breast cancer for women. By working on the achievement of WHO objectives, we are convinced that the Council can promote significant and coordinated political changes, aligned on existing regional objectives.
