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| Mary Gospodarowicz, President, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). Photo credit: UICC |
Africa is experiencing high cases and
deaths related to cancer - a leading cause of death
worldwide - because of poor investment in diagnosis, surveillance and
palliative care facilities,
says Mary Gospodarowicz, President
of the influential Geneva-based Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
In a keynote address to the 2013 World Cancer
Leaders’ Summit (WCLS) held for the first time in Capetown, South Africa,
Gospodarowicz said less than one percent of the African region is currently covered by
population-based cancer registries. As a result knowledge of cancer in the
Africa continent where the cancer epidemic was emerging.
"Diagnosis
is fundamental to optimal cancer treatment and optimizing survival," Gospodarowicz
said an interview, adding that, "African
countries suffer from a dramatic lack of pathologists and we need to educate
governments that this field needs specific nurturing for their countries to be
in a position to respond to the cancer epidemic."
A 2013 report by the UN Agency IARC (International Agency for Research
on Cancer) says in 2012 there were 14.1 million new cancer cases, 8.2 million
deaths and 32.5 million people still living with cancer within five years from
diagnosis. The IARC report noted that one in three cancers diagnosed in
sub-Saharan Africa is infection-related and one in four women’s cancers
diagnosed is breast cancer. Gospodarowicz said while Africa needs to move a gear up to tackle
the cancer burden, some countries were harnessing remote technologies and
international expertise to fill the gaps in cancer, diagnosis, treatment and
care. Excerpts of my interview with Gospodarowicz:
Busani
Bafana: What is being done to harness the benefits of science and technology in
controlling the spread of cancers in Africa?
Mary Gospodarowicz: The key
to success in reducing mortality is harnessing the technologies we know work
across the continuum of care, with equitable access for all. Sound investments
in Africa can have a major impact without having to replicate the most expensive
health infrastructures of developed countries - there is a lot that can be done
here to prevent, detect early and treat the common cancers. the most recent
data published (Globocan 2012) demonstrates that it is women's cancers -
cervical and breast cancer that are rising especially rapidly, as countries are
developing.
The UICC
and its members in countries around the world have a track record of bringing
expertise and support to low and middle income countries, bringing the civil
society perspective on priority setting and this will accelerate in coming
years.
Is
science research making any breakthroughs in the detection and treatment of
cancer, especially in Africa?
One of
the biggest contributions of cancer research in the last few decades to cancer
control is the identification of Human Papilloma Virus as the causal agent of
cancer of the cervix and subsequent development of the HPV vaccine, which is
now a GAVI eligible vaccine. It is being rolled out in vaccination programmes
in many African countries such as Kenya, Ghana and Rwanda. South Africa, although
not a GAVi eligible country, has also recognized this tool as an investment in
the health of South African women and will be initiating a programme in 2014 -
which we can highly commend.
What
level of investment is needed, in the case of Africa to deal with cancer?
We see
that with a strong strategy, small investments in priority areas can really
start to show impact rapidly. It's a stepwise, systematic scale up of
activities which will lead to robust and sustainable cancer control.
Although
African countries can prioritise their own investment in cancer treatment and
prevention, we also believe that developed countries should allocate more
Overseas Development Assistance towards the prevention and control of cancer
and the other NCDs (non-communicable diseases). This will bring much required
funds to build on health systems already in place to address communicable,
disease like HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria.
Do you
think there is both the political will and financial capacity to roll out
awareness programmes and to beefing up palliative care in Africa?
All
countries around the world have committed to the Global Monitoring Framework on
NCDs, a set of 9 targets and 25 indicators to achieve the goal of reducing NCD
mortality by 25 percent by the year 2025 (25x25 goal). This is unprecedented
political sensitization. The cancer control community must harness this
recognition and help governments to set the right priorities for impact.
Financing
will be tough, it is clear that we cannot expect a Global fund for cancer and
other NCDs any time soon. This does not mean that we cannot make a start.
Palliative care is a case in point - morphine is a low cost, effective and easy
to administer solution to ease the suffering of cancer patients in moderate and
severe pain and yet the availability and access of morphine in Africa is far
from what we would even consider adequate levels.
