Low income countries can beat cancer

The cancer burden is rising globally, exerting significant strain on populations and health systems at all income levels. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimated 18.1 million new cases and 9.6 million deaths across the globe in 2018. This translates to one out of six deaths globally and far exceeding the number of deaths from HIV and Aids, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Cancers of the breast, colorectum, lung, cervix uteri and thyroid are most prevalent among females while those of the lung, prostate, colorectum, stomach and liver are top among males.

The disease burden is greatest in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur with the sub-Saharan Africa projected to have more than an 85 per cent increase in cancer incidence by 2030. This rise is attributed to demographic changes such as ageing and population growth, changing prevalence of cancer risk factors and increased exposure to risk factors such as environmental carcinogens, urbanisation, unsafe food and water, infectious agents, lifestyle changes such as obesity, alcohol and tobacco use.