Miriam Mutebi: Fewer than one radiotherapy machine per million people – a heartbreaking scenario common across Africa

Miriam Mutebi shared on LinkedIn:

“”It’s not what I want, but let me just have a mastectomy; who will look after me during that period?”

Words of a 55-year-old cancer patient, opting to undergo a mastectomy for a 1cm tumor—instead of breast conservation surgery; a less invasive procedure offered with timely access to radiotherapy.

Due to the lack of radiotherapy facilities in her home country, she traveled to Nairobi for treatment; a heartbreaking scenario common across Africa where inadequate access to life-saving radiotherapy remains a barrier to effective cancer care.

50-60% of all cancer patients in Africa will require radiotherapy; a pivotal treatment in key cancers on the continent such as cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and head and neck cancers. According to The Lancet, many African countries have fewer than one radiotherapy machine per million people, far below the recommended levels.

Essentially, radiotherapy uses high-energy radiation to target and destroy cancer cells, often in conjunction with surgery & chemotherapy. While this triad maximizes the chances of curing, controlling, or alleviating cancer misconceptions about radiotherapy in Africa—described with terms like ‘burning’ and ‘scorching’—deter patients from seeking treatment. Hence, a need to demystify radiotherapy.”

Source: Miriam Mutebi/LinkedIn