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The DANCE-Africa Consortium has officially launched – Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub

Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub/LinkedIn

Mar 19, 2025, 15:20

The DANCE-Africa Consortium has officially launched – Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub

Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub posted on LinkedIn:

“Exciting news!

The DANCE-Africa Consortium has officially launched, bringing together leading institutions across five countries to tackle one of the most pressing health challenges, Colorectal Cancer (CRC) in African populations.

This collaborative effort includes Georgetown University, University of Zambia and Cancer Diseases Hospital (Zambia), University of Ghana, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (Ghana), St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (Ethiopia), National Cancer Registry (South Africa), Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub, and the Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Biomedicine (South Africa).

Building on the success of the DANCE (Disparities and Cancer Epidemiology)-CRC study, which explored disparities in colorectal cancer between African American and Non-Hispanic White populations (a collaboration with University of Michigan Rogel Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Karmanos Comprehensive Cancer Centre – Wayne State University, Louisiana State University – Health Sciences Campus and Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center- Georgetown University).

DANCE-Africa will now focus on understanding molecular subtypes of CRC across African populations.

Why is this research critical?

Rising CRC cases in Africa – More patients diagnosed late.
Limited local genomic data – Most CRC research is based on non-African populations, missing key insights for African patients.
Need for tailored interventions – Understanding molecular and genetic drivers will help improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Wits Diagnostic Innovation Hub (Wits DIH) proudly hosted the first in-person workshop with our partners, marking a significant step forward in this ambitious research.

DANCE-Africa is more than a study, it is a movement towards equitable cancer care for Africa!

Stay tuned for updates as we drive discovery, innovation, and impact.”