‘The challenge of cancer control in Africa’ Brief Review

While this article did not have much research immediately pertinent to my research, it did illustrate a few major problems concerning cancer control as a whole. The article specifically speaks about Africa, but I believe that Africa should only be viewed as a worst-case scenario for cancer rates. The deeply rooted problems found in African societies are not absent in other societies, but rather are only aggravated by the frequent lack of proper funds to solve them.

A primary point of this article is that increasing cancer rates from a worldwide perspective are likely to come from less developed areas. While such a point may be inferred as being an African problem, as it’s found in the challenge of cancer control in Africa, it’s truly a worldwide problem concerning underdeveloped areas everywhere. Such areas need to be addressed with greater concern, starting with more prevalent cancer intelligence units.

However, a primary feature of proper cancer prevention needs to begin with tobacco control. Not all forms of cancer are easily preventable, but no others are advertised as tobacco consumption is. Addiction is an understandably large problem and is absolutely a large challenge to overcome. However, long-term solutions need to begin with stopping the spread, in communities rich and poor. There need to be more popular forms of escapism that are less harmful to the body than tobacco consumption while remaining within a similar price range. While I am not necessarily a spokesperson for such a product (sports, personally, are my form of escapism, but I understand that they’re not for everyone), it is a point too obvious to ignore.

A point more specific to African cancer care, however, is the dire need for early diagnosis. Speaking from personal experience, early diagnosis and prevention is one of the most reliable ways to produce positive results. Coinciding with a need for early diagnosis is an interesting fact that the paper pointed out: many African cultures do not even have a word for cancer. Obviously, proper communication and diagnosis are necessary prerequisites to a more stable cancer care system.

There are a few references I will be looking at. Cancer in Africa: Epidemiology and Prevention, The globalisation of cancer, and Do we bear any moral responsibility for improving cancer care in Africa? are all worth pursuing for my research.