IMAGE CREDIT: CHATGPT
Africa’s cancer crisis is on the rise and should alarm us. With more than 1.1 million new cases and 700,000 deaths reported each year, the mortality-to-incidence ratio—about 0.66—is among the highest in the world. The continent faces an uphill task.
Most countries have a severe shortage of oncologists; some, including Lesotho, Benin, Gambia, South Sudan, and Sierra Leone, have none, while others like Cameroon have only a handful serving millions of people.
But there is an opportunity. A new policy review paper published in The Lancet Oncology says the continent has a unique chance to transform cancer care by harnessing digital health and artificial intelligence (AI).
The paper warns that Africa could face a shortfall of more than six million health workers by 2030, leaving many cancer patients without timely diagnosis or treatment. At the same time, mobile phone ownership, internet access, and digital tools are spreading rapidly, offering new ways to bridge the gap.
“Workforce expansion alone will be insufficient,” the authors note. “Digital health technologies will be essential for expanding diagnostic and treatment capacity in cost-effective ways.”
Digital health covers a wide range of innovations, from telemedicine and mobile apps to electronic health records and AI-driven diagnostics. These tools can connect patients in remote areas to specialists, remind patients about treatment schedules, and speed up complex cancer care processes such as radiation planning.
In some countries, telemedicine projects are already making a difference. In Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, they are linking rural patients to city-based specialists. In Kenya, simple text-message reminders improved childhood vaccination rates, while in Uganda, similar reminders kept cancer patients on track with treatment.
AI is also showing promise. In Nigeria, portable X-ray devices powered by AI have boosted the accuracy of tuberculosis detection. At Lagos University Teaching Hospital, oncologists reported that AI-assisted software cut treatment planning times for cervical cancer from hours to under 30 minutes. “By streamlining planning, oncologists could treat more patients each day,” the report explains.
Opportunities and risks
The authors argue that Africa is in a strong position to leapfrog into modern, digital-first health systems. Unlike high-income countries that must overhaul paper-based systems, African nations can build streamlined digital solutions from the ground up.
But there are major hurdles. Internet and electricity remain unreliable in many rural regions, making it difficult to run digital platforms. Many health workers lack training in digital tools, and patients often have limited digital literacy. Weak policies around data protection and uneven government investment also threaten sustainability.
“Without cohesive national strategies, many digital health projects remain fragmented, donor-funded, and short-lived,” the paper warns. It calls on African governments to commit at least 15% of national budgets to health, as agreed in the Abuja Declaration, and to develop long-term financing models that include the private sector.
Why African data matters
The report also highlights a global issue: the lack of African data in medical research. Although Africa accounts for 18% of the world’s population, it contributes less than 3% of clinical trials. This gap means AI tools are often trained on non-African populations, reducing their accuracy for African patients.
“Africa has the most genetic diversity of any population in the world,” the authors write. “Excluding African data is a missed scientific opportunity that could limit advances in precision medicine for everyone.”
PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Bat spread ebola, one of the most deadly diseases in the world but why do some people in Uganda eat them, how do they view them? Watch a short video explainer.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Self- and mutual masturbation are highly prevalent among sexually active Nigerians, with distinct factors influencing each behaviour,” explains a study that focused on Nigeria…such studies are rare on the continent.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Multiple Origins of Pottery in Early Africa: Pottery in Africa, dating back about 11,000–9,000 years ago, was not invented in a single place but likely emerged independently in at least two or three regions: West Africa (Ounjougou in Mali), the Central Sahara (Adrar Bous, Niger), and the Nile Valley/Eastern Sahara (Egypt and Sudan). By analyzing over 850 radiocarbon dates from 259 archaeological sites, the researchers found strong evidence that pottery technology arose in parallel as hunter-gatherer groups adapted to the greener landscapes of the African Humid Period.
Pottery spread unevenly—quick in some areas, slower in others—depending on local environments and cultures. These findings highlight African communities’ innovation and flexibility in creating new tools to process and store food. [Reference, Nature Communications]
A New Look at Child Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: nearly 36% of children under five in Sub-Saharan Africa face some form of malnutrition when measured using the Extended Composite Index of Anthropometric Failure (ECIAF), which combines stunting, wasting, underweight, and overweight for a fuller picture. Drawing on data from 26 countries and more than 176,000 children, the research revealed wide disparities—from 20% in Gabon to almost 60% in Burundi.
Boys, children from poorer families, multiple births, those born small, and rural residents were most affected. Protective factors included maternal education, antenatal care, and health facility births. The findings suggest child malnutrition cannot be solved by food aid alone but requires tackling poverty, improving healthcare, and tailoring responses to regional needs. [Reference, PLOS ONE]
Africa’s Ancient Cures Meet Modern Science: Africa’s traditional medicinal plants could be the key to discovering the next generation of modern drugs. For centuries, African healers have used herbs like neem, bitter leaf, ginger, and moringa to treat illnesses ranging from malaria to cancer.
But the research reveals that colonialism, poor documentation, and limited funding have long held back their scientific recognition. Now, with advances in artificial intelligence and computer-aided drug design, scientists are beginning to unlock how these plants work at the molecular level. The study urges collaboration between traditional healers and modern researchers, stronger protection of indigenous knowledge, and fair benefit-sharing to ensure Africa’s ancient remedies shape the future of global medicine. [Reference, Scientific African]
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