Global Cancer Crisis
Cancer knows no borders. Virtually no country, no community, and hardly a family, is untouched by cancer. Cancer is a tremendous burden on patients, families and humanity.
Novartis Oncology aims to raise awareness and create understanding of cancer care in underserved communities.
Global Cancer Statistics
Cancer in the Developing World
Inequitable Distribution of Global Health Workforce
Cancer in Africa
Situation in Kenya
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the world is facing a health crisis called—cancer.
- Every year, at least 7 million people die from cancer, more than
HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.[1] - By 2020, the number of new cases each year could rise to 16 million, killing 10.3 million people per year worldwide.[2],[3]
- By 2020, developing countries are predicted to account for 70% of new cases of cancer every year.[4]
- By 2030, there will be 27 million new cases, 17 million cancer deaths per year, and 75 million persons alive with cancer.[5]
Cancer in the Developing World
- Cancer is often regarded as a disease of the developed world, but incidence in low- and middle-income countries is on the rise,[5] and three quarters of all annual cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.[1]
- The high prevalence of cancer is shifting from developed nations to poorer, less medically-equipped countries and their underserved communities.[1]
- In many of these low- and middle-income countries, the priority of cancer is so low that no resources are available for cancer prevention and diagnosis, and cancer treatment facilities are not universally available.[3]
- Cancer has a lower incidence in the low- and middle-income countries, yet survival rates are much lower, largely because of delays in diagnosis leading to the patient presenting with advanced disease.[6]
- More developed regions have lower cancer mortality despite having a higher cancer incidence. Conversely, some less developed regions have a relatively high cancer mortality despite having low cancer incidence.[7]
- The mortality-to-incidence ratio varies widely across geographic regions, with the highest ratio in Africa.[7]
2002 Worldwide Age-Standardized Incidence, Mortality, |
||||||
|
Males |
Females |
||||
All cancer sites, except skin. |
Incidence |
Mortality |
Mortality- |
Incidence |
Mortality |
Mortality- |
World |
5,802,531 |
3,796,383 |
0.66 |
5,061,968 |
2,928,548 |
0.57 |
More developed |
2,698,175 |
1,503,060 |
0.54 |
2,317,939 |
1,185,412 |
0.45 |
Less developed |
3,092,817 |
2,284,779 |
0.75 |
2,736,696 |
1,738,455 |
0.65 |
Continent |
|
|
|
|
|
|
North America |
834,546 |
331,226 |
0.38 |
735,974 |
300,745 |
0.37 |
Oceania |
56,119 |
24,812 |
0.43 |
47,606 |
19,611 |
0.37 |
Europe |
1,499,642 |
958,248 |
0.62 |
1,321,129 |
743,224 |
0.49 |
Central/South America |
365,497 |
221,243 |
0.62 |
401,078 |
215,395 |
0.54 |
Asia |
2,697,813 |
1,983,473 |
0.74 |
2,181,139 |
1,372,455 |
0.63 |
Africa |
311,363 |
251,099 |
0.83 |
338,397 |
255,013 |
0.77 |
* As an indirect measure of cancer survival, a mortality-to-incidence ratio is calculated by dividing the mortality rate by the incidence rate; mortality-to-incidence approaching 1.0 suggests a limited survival.
Inequitable Distribution of Global Health Workforce
Pressing health needs across the globe cannot be met without adequate numbers of well-trained healthcare professionals available.[9]
Fifty-seven countries, most of them in Africa and Asia, face a severe health workforce crisis. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least 4,250,000 health workers are needed to fill the gap.[9]
Health Workforce in |
|
Sub-Saharan Africa† |
The Americas‡ |
11% of the world's population |
14% of the world's population |
25% of the global burden of disease |
10% of the global burden of disease |
3% of the world's health workers |
42% of the world's health workers |
<1% of global health expenditure |
>50% of global health expenditure |
† African Region: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
‡ Region of the Americas: Argentina, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States of America, Uruguay.
Africa is an extraordinarily diverse continent. Approximately 830 million people populate Africa's 53 countries. Cancer is an increasingly public health problem in Africa.[10]
Cancer treatment is unavailable in many regions for the 650,000 Africans who develop cancer annually, resulting in about 510,000 deaths—almost 80% of all cancer cases in Africa.[10]
By 2020 Africa will account for more than one million new cancer cases a year, and they are the least able of all developing countries to cope, having few cancer care services. Lack of resources and basic infrastructure means that most Africans have no access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment or palliative care.[4]
According to the Africa-Oxford Cancer Consortium (AfrOx):[4]
- In Africa, cancer is a sentence to a painful and distressing death.
- Life-saving radiation treatment is available in only 21 of Africa's
53 countries, or to less than 20% of the total population.
The Republic of Kenya, in eastern Africa, borders the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania. Kenya is well known for its scenic landscapes and vast wildlife preserves. Kenya's Indian Ocean border has some of the finest beaches in Africa. Inland are densely inhabited highlands renowned for both their tea plantations and their variety of animal species. Kenya's western provinces, marked by lakes and rivers, are forested, while a small portion of the north is desert and semi desert. The country's varied and unique wildlife and picturesque geography have historically drawn European and North American visitors, and tourism has been an important contributor to Kenya's economy.[11]
Kenya (slightly more than twice the size of Nevada) has a population of nearly 37 million. The capital city of Nairobi has a population of about 3 million.[6], [12]
In Kenya, cancer ranks third as a cause of death after infections (including HIV) and cardiovascular diseases. In 2005, cancer killed approximately 18,000 people in Kenya. More than 60% of those people were under the age of 70 years.[13]
Life expectancy at birth in Kenya (55 years) is certainly affected by the country's AIDS pandemic and that 50% of the population is living below the poverty line. [12]
Like other African nations, Kenya's AIDS pandemic severely strains healthcare resources.[6]
Despite the fact that cancer ranks third as a cause of death after infections (including HIV) and cardiovascular diseases, cancer is not on the Ministry of Health's list of priorities.[6]
Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi is the country's chief referral and teaching institution. There are also provincial and district hospitals. In rural areas, health centers and dispensaries offer diagnostic services, obstetric care, and outpatient treatment, although they often lack adequate facilities, trained personnel, and medications.[11]
While the fight against cancer is secondary to other important public health priorities, change and advancement are noticeable:[6]
- Training in cancer management and care is conducted at the University of Nairobi at the post-graduate level in medicine, surgery, hematology and pathology.
- Kenyatta National Hospital offers specialized services relevant to cancer: radiotherapy, medical oncology and hematology, surgical oncology, pathology and palliative care.
- Kenyan physicians are joining with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help raise awareness of cancer, and are working toward prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment.
