Cervical and breast cancers remain the biggest threat to the health of women in Africa, as they continue to be the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women on the continent.

Statistics indicate that only 50 per cent of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Africa survive beyond five years, compared to more than 90 per cent in high‑income countries.

“This is taking a terrible toll on families, communities and economies,” Ms Dorothy Nyong’o, Managing Trustee of the Africa Cancer Foundation and member of the Africa Breast Cancer Council, said, calling for urgent attention from African governments and development partners.

Speaking at the Africa Press Day event organised by Roche Africa in Nairobi, Ms Nyong’o, who is also the First Lady of Kisumu County, stressed that women must remain healthy because they form the backbone of societies.

“Women’s lives matter – they keep our families going, and we need them to be healthy,” she said. “If women are the backbone of society, then cervical and breast cancers, being among the biggest threats to that backbone, require more attention. This is no longer only a moral issue; it is a strategic and economic issue deserving the full attention of governments.”

She urged African governments to prioritise women’s cancers through increased funding, with particular focus on prevention, lifestyle awareness, screening, and early diagnosis, noting that many women across the continent are diagnosed too late.

“We also need faster treatment pathways and patient navigation. A lot of patients are lost in the journey because they do not know where to go or what to do next. They do not even understand the urgency of their diagnosis,” she said.

Ms Nyong’o emphasised the need for access to innovative therapies and palliative care, warning that “the cost of inaction, delayed diagnosis and treatment increases the risk of prolonged suffering and death, causing great pain to families.”

She encouraged women to be proactive by using their birthdays as reminders to undergo comprehensive health screenings, especially for cervical and breast cancers.

The Africa Press Day event, held on the theme “Health is Wealth,” brought together stakeholders from across the continent to discuss Africa’s health financing, women’s health, equity, and the economics of health. Participants came from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, Tanzania, Morocco, Tunisia, as well as civil society organisations and financial institutions including Afreximbank.

As part of the Day Two activities, participants visited the EMPOWER Clinic at Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi, one of the new digital clinics operated by Roche Africa and partners such as the Ministry of Health, Kenya’s National Cancer Institute, and Savannah Informatics. The clinic supports timely cancer screening and care for women.

Authorities reported that more than 235,000 women in Kenya have been screened since the EMPOWER project began in 2019, with 12,369 individuals registered on the digital platform that tracks patient care progress.