SENEGAL
The westernmost country in mainland Africa, Senegal is known as the “Gateway to Africa”, with the majority of economic activity taking place in its capital city, Dakar. The most prevalent cancers in the country are cervical, breast, liver, prostate, and stomach, among both sexes.
Stats at a Glance
16.8m
People in Senegal
11,317
Approximate new cancer cases in a year
7,893
Approximate cancer deaths in a year
In 2016, Senegal’s Ministry of Health and Social Action (MSAS), launched its National Cancer Control Plan, which prioritizes primary prevention, human resource development, early detection, and diagnostic and therapeutic management of cancer.
At the direction of MSAS, Senegal joined the African Access Initiative (AAI) in October 2019. Since then, three Senegalese hospitals – Hospital Aristide Le Dantec, Dalal Jamm National Hospital Center, and Idrissa Pouye General Hospital have joined AAI to achieve their cancer goals.
AAI In Senegal
Senegalese Hematologist Visits Morehouse School of Medicine to Train on Next Generation Sequencing
Children with cancer in Africa face much higher mortality rates (80%) compared with children in high-income countries (20%). Inadequate diagnostic infrastructure combined with limited healthcare professional pediatric cancer diagnostic expertise are contributors to these high mortality rates in Africa. While it is known that genetics are linked to the development of some pediatric cancers, more…
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ASCO, BVGH, and HOGIP Lead Workshop to Improve Palliative Care in Senegal
Palliative care is an essential component of cancer patient management. The practice helps manage patients’ symptoms, improve their quality of life, and ensure patients’ comfort at the end of their lives. Palliative care is particularly important in Africa, where the majority of cancer patients are diagnosed with late-stage diseases, which often have more symptoms and…
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Clinical trial training program addresses cancer data gap in Africa and enables new research ventures for African clinicians
Africa has historically been overlooked by the international oncology research community, resulting in the continent’s participation in less than 2% of all cancer clinical trials. Africa’s underrepresentation in cancer clinical trials has culminated in an alarming lack of data describing the effects of new cancer technologies and treatments in the world’s most genetically diverse population.…
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Virtual training series prepares radiation specialists to use advanced radiotherapy technique
While developments in radiotherapy have created safer, more targeted treatment options for cancer patients worldwide, many hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa lack the training, capacity, and infrastructure to implement them. Without access to the most cutting-edge treatment techniques, Africa’s cancer patients will not achieve the high survival rates seen in other regions of the world. In…
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Our Hospital Partners
- Hôpital Général Idrissa Pouye/Grand Yoff (HOGIP)
Data on this page sourced from:
Cancer cases and cancer deaths per year: VizHub – GBD Results (healthdata.org)
Senegal population: World Development Indicators | DataBank (worldbank.org)
Senegal cancer occurrences by type: 686-senegal-fact-sheets.pdf (iarc.fr)