Africa’s cancer burden is growing at an alarming rate. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) recently reported a 229% increase in cancer cases in Africa between 1990 and 2023. Behind this staggering statistic are millions of patients and families facing barriers at every stage of the cancer care pathway.
Africa’s cancer crisis is not driven by a single factor. Limited public awareness and lack of thorough training for frontline healthcare providers contribute to late-stage diagnosis. Inefficient referral systems delay care, while shortages of oncology specialists and well-equipped facilities restrict access to lifesaving diagnosis and treatment. Together, these systemic barriers leave too many patients facing preventable suffering and premature death.
That is why BVGH launched the African Access Initiative (AAI) in 2017 – to bring together governments, companies, healthcare institutions, and global oncology leaders to improve cancer patient outcomes across Africa. BVGH works with African stakeholders to understand national healthcare and oncology systems and then designs and implements solutions tailored to country priorities.
The result is more than its individual interventions. BVGH works to strengthen the systems that enable African cancer patients to access high-quality cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment reliably, sustainably, and in a timely manner.
Since 2017, AAI has contributed to:
- 4,000+ cancer patients accessing cancer medicines
- 26,000+ healthcare providers trained
- 33 million individuals reached through cancer awareness campaigns
The scale of Africa’s cancer challenge demands a similarly scaled response – one that addresses the full patient pathway and is driven by African priorities and partnerships.