Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the First Lady, on Tuesday launched a report on "Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Lancet Oncology Commission" in Accra. Professor Wilfred Ngwa, the Commission Chair, said projected trends underscored the devastating costs of inaction on cancer incidence rates and cancer mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Professor Ngwa said while the list of barriers hindering effective cancer control in the region was long, the pursuit of robust cancer registries, effective cancer control plans, early cancer screening and detection, and the integration of palliative care into the cancer care pathway was critical. He called for greater focus on the implementation of telemedicine and new technologies, building and training the oncology workforce, and boosting cancer research to radically improve cancer care across the region. Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai, the renowned cancer care advocate and co-chair of the Commission, said population knowledge and attitudes about cancer risk factors were critical to reducing the burden of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.
