AstraZeneca launched this Thursday, “Accelerating Change Together; Cancer Cure in Africa ”(ACT; CCA). Credit: Africa press release
On the sidelines of COP27, AstraZeneca launched the program this Thursday with its partners in the health sector “Accelerating change together Curing cancer in Africa” (ACT; CCA), which aims to improve treatment outcomes for cancer patients in Africa, we learn from a press release.
In Morocco, as well as in other countries of the African continent, launch events of the program are planned for the coming months, focused on local initiatives.
In detail, this program “It provides a platform for partners to co-create the solutions needed to bridge the gaps in the patient care journey, from diagnosis to treatment and beyond.”
The ACT; CCA program is led by a committee of physicians, cancer institutions and advocacy groups, who will be responsible for leading policy intervention and sharing their experiences.
The release also stresses that the program is focused on fighting lung, breast and prostate cancer, through capacity building, encouraging screening, early diagnosis and patient empowerment.
Over the next three years, ACT; CCA will aim to cover the screening and diagnosis of one million people with all types of cancer and train more than 10,000 professionals in 100 cancer centers, the source announces.
“While the evolution of cancer treatments is constantly growing, equal access to these innovations is not available to everyone. Our goal is to elevate the cancer care ecosystem in Africa by establishing favorable solutions with our various partners and encouraging long-term investments in this area “, said Pelin Incesu, regional vice president for the Middle East and Africa, AstraZeneca.
“We must work together to reverse the alarming spread of cancer in Africa by removing the barriers that dissuade patients from seeking diagnosis and treatment and by building capacities that help deliver innovative treatments. Available to all patients, without exception,” He continued.
More than 700,000 cancer-related deaths were recorded in the region in 2020 in sub-Saharan Africa, death rates reaching 70% of diagnosed cases, the statement recalled.
Otherwise, “It is estimated that 2.1 million new cases of cancer and 1.4 million deaths are expected across the continent each year by 2040. Breast and prostate cancer are among the three most common types of cancer.the source points out.
