By Jennifer Dent | President & CEO, BVGH
According to a recent report issued by the American Cancer Society, cancer deaths in the United States have dropped 27 percent since 1991. This is an important milestone attributable, in large part, to lower smoking rates, advances in early detection of cancers, and the development of innovative treatments.
While many cancer patients and their loved ones in the United States have reason to celebrate, poorer patients – both in the U.S. and worldwide – are not benefiting from these life-saving medical advancements. This is exemplified in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where cancer deaths are increasing at an alarming rate.
Without prompt intervention, the number of lives stolen by cancer in LMICs will continue to rise. In Africa, cancer mortality is expected to increase almost 70 percent by 2030. We have an opportunity and an obligation to change this alarming statistic.
Now, more than ever, partnerships between the pharmaceutical industry and African governments are critical to shaping a healthier future for the African continent.
BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) launched the African Access Initiative (AAI) to do just that. By engaging stakeholders from across sectors, including African ministries of health; pharmaceutical companies, notably Pfizer and Takeda; international cancer leaders; and non-governmental organizations, AAI seeks to create sustainable access to affordable, safe, and life-saving cancer drugs.
Leveraging the respective strengths of the various sectors, AAI aligns global oncology activities and programs to maximize output and minimize the duplication of efforts. Driven by Africa, for Africa, AAI utilizes data generated at the country and hospital levels to define needs and address the cancer priorities of African governments and hospitals.
In under two years since its inception, AAI has made tremendous progress in alleviating the cancer inequalities that the African continent faces. Working across Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Senegal, AAI is creating new models to ensure affordable, safe, and sustainable access to essential cancer medicines and technologies; strengthening healthcare infrastructure; building clinical oncology capacity; and fostering cancer clinical trials in Africa.
The U.S.’ strategy to diagnose, treat, and manage cancer is a success story that should be celebrated. However, this story does not stop here. We must take the lessons and strategies learned battling cancer in the U.S. and apply them on a larger scale. Global cancer trends are imbalanced. It is time for us to share our successes and create change.