Every story is unique, every journey matters: a call to accelerate action on women’s cancers in Africa

Across Africa, too many women are dying prematurely from breast and cervical cancers. In 2024 alone, 350 000 women across the continent died from these diseases, often because prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment came too late or were inaccessible.

Behind every statistic is a woman, a family and a community. A mother waiting too long for a diagnosis. A daughter unable to access preventive care. A family struggling to afford treatment.

These stories are unique but the responsibility before us is shared.

Our message to governments, policymakers and partners is clear: the time has come to accelerate action on women’s cancers and move them from the margins of health policy to the centre of Africa’s health, development and financing agendas.

The African Union is leading the way by placing the health and well-being of Africa’s people at the heart of the continent’s development agenda. This leadership provides an important platform for Member States to translate continental commitments on women’s health, noncommunicable diseases and universal health coverage into measurable results.

Through the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), African First Ladies are bringing a complementary and powerful form of leadership. They are using their voices and platforms to mobilize political attention, engage communities, challenge stigma and keep the experiences of women and families visible in national and continental discussions.

WHO, through its initiatives on breast and cervical cancer, is supporting governments and communities with the evidence, technical approaches and implementation support needed to translate political commitment into effective services.

The challenge is substantial.

Breast and cervical cancer burdens are increasing across Africa. Too many women still face barriers to vaccination, screening, diagnosis, referral, treatment, palliative care and survivorship support. Diagnosis frequently occurs at advanced stages, when treatment becomes more difficult, more costly and less likely to succeed. WHO’s latest Global Status Report on Cancer issued this year provided the first global estimates of breast cancer survival and cervical cancer screening coverage. It showed that the African continent is lagging behind the substantial progress happening elsewhere.

Yet there is hope.

WHO’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative and Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative provide governments with a practical pathway to improve outcomes. Through multi-sectoral partnerships, WHO is bringing rere of breast and cervical cancers, already benefiting millions of women on the continent

But current efforts alone are not enough.

Governments must integrate women’s cancers into national health strategies, primary health care, essential benefit packages and domestic financing priorities. Development partners must align behind country-led priorities and invest in sustainable systems rather than fragmented interventions. Parliamentarians must support enabling legislation, adequate budgets and accountability. Survivors, civil society and communities must have a meaningful voice in shaping policies and assessing progress. Political champions must keep women’s cancers visible at the highest levels of decision-making.

This is where the respective strengths of our institutions must come together.

OAFLAD advocates for and mobilizes political attention. The African Union provides continental leadership and policy direction. WHO brings evidence, standards and technical and implementation support. Governments translate commitments into national policies, budgets and services. Partners bring catalytic financing, innovation and implementation capacity.

Together, these contributions can turn awareness into policy, policy into investment and investment into services that women can actually access.

The steps to expand this access are clear.

We must expand HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening and breast health awareness. We must shorten the time from detection to diagnosis and treatment. We must strengthen pathology, imaging, referral pathways, surgery, radiotherapy, access to medicines, palliative care and survivorship support. We must also protect families from financial hardship caused by cancer care.

These investments can do more than strengthen cancer care for women. They will reinforce primary health care and accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.

The time is ripe to make these investments and deliver results. Africa stands at a defining moment. Through the African Union, OAFLAD, WHO, governments and many committed partners, there is today a growing momentum to advance a stronger continental agenda for women’s cancers and other noncommunicable diseases.

During October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the theme “Every Story is Unique, Every Journey Matters” reminds us that every woman experience cancer differently.

But while every journey is unique, access to prevention and care should never depend on geography, income or circumstance.

What Africa now needs is sustained leadership, financing, investment in research and accountability to deliver these solutions at scale.

We call for greater investment in the prevention and care of women’s cancers. We call for women-centred policies that place equity, dignity and access at the heart of cancer care. We call for sustainable domestic financing, aligned partner support and stronger accountability for results. We call for greater protections from the social, physical and economic hardship that cancer can bring.

This is not only a call for greater awareness. It is a call to governments, political leaders, partners and communities to act with urgency.

Because every woman deserves the opportunity to live a healthy and productive life.

Because every family deserves more time with its mothers, daughters and sisters.

And because Africa’s development depends on the health of its women and girls.

All this is possible thanks to the leadership, knowledge and capacity that Africa possesses to protect women’s futures from the threat of cancer.

For Africa, tackling women’s cancers is not only a health imperative; it is a question of equity, dignity and development, and a measure of whether our health systems truly serve every woman.

The measure of our commitment will not be the declarations we make, but whether women can access prevention, screening, timely diagnosis and quality treatment when and where they need them.
 

The authors acknowledge the WHO Liaison Office to the African Union and UNECA for coordinating this joint contribution.