Liver cancer presents a major health challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa, driven in part by chronic hepatitis B and C virus infections. Too often, patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, when treatment options are limited. Late stage diagnoses are a major factor contributing to the sub-continent’s high mortality to incidence ratio (0.94).
To address Sub-Saharan Africa’s urgent need to downstage liver cancer, BVGH organized the 2025 AAI Liver Cancer Early Detection and Referral digital lecture series. The digital course trained 1,530 healthcare professionals from 70 countries on essential aspects of liver cancer care. Lectures covered liver cancer risk factors and prevention strategies, early detection methods, treatment approaches, and community outreach techniques. Additional topics included liver cancer epidemiology in African populations, practical screening methods using ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein testing, and strategies for building effective awareness programs.
Five expert physicians from leading U.S. medical centers, including the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Emory University, and the University of Minnesota, delivered the training sessions. The program is an important step in building capacity across Africa’s healthcare systems to identify and treat liver cancer before it progresses.
“The course was very informative and well-structured. I appreciated the clarity of the content, the practical examples, and the focus on real-world application. It has strengthened my understanding of liver cancer prevention and management, and I feel more confident applying this knowledge in my work.”
– Attendee of the 2025 AAI Liver Cancer Early Detection & Referral digital course