Africa produces only 8% of global cancer research-Experts
By Ojoma Akor
Cancer experts and researchers have said that Africa produces just 8% of global cancer research.
They also called for stronger investment in research, affordable treatment, and locally driven innovation to bridge the widening gap in cancer care across the continent.
They made the call during the ‘Best of ASCO Africa 2026 Conference’ held in Abuja under the theme, “From Global Discovery to Local Delivery: Driving Africa to the Cutting Edge of Cancer Care.” The conference was organized in collaboration with the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC).
Immediate Past President of AORTIC, Prof. Miriam Mutebi, said. However, cancer research output from Africa has increased over the years; the continent still contributes only about 8 percent of global cancer research.
She said, “We did some work through AORTIC, trying to look at how much cancer research we are doing as part of the global body, and we found that, despite an increase in research, Africa produces only 8% of global cancer research. So there’s clearly an opportunity for us to think about what we can do better.”
She noted that much of the research conducted does not adequately reflect Africa’s disease burden.
“We know breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancers account for a significant proportion of cancers in Africa, yet cancers such as cervical and prostate cancer remain under-researched,” she said.
Mutebi identified inadequate domestic funding as one of the biggest barriers to cancer research on the continent.
She urged African governments to honor the African Union’s commitment to invest 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in research and development, adding that locally funded research is essential for developing solutions tailored to African populations.
She also called for more research into why many African patients present with advanced disease, fail to complete treatment, or delay seeking care because of fear and misconceptions about cancer.
“Patients do not experience research; they experience health systems,” she said. “Our goal is to use research to strengthen those systems and improve the entire cancer journey—from diagnosis to treatment and survivorship.”
Closing the global cancer divide
Breast medical oncologist at the University of Illinois Chicago and Vice-President (North America) of AORTIC, Dr. Abiola Ibrahim, said there remains a significant disparity between cancer care available in high-income countries and what patients can access in Africa.
“I practice in the United States, and I have also worked in Nigeria. The therapies and technologies available in the U.S. are very different from what patients can access here,” she said.
According to Ibrahim, the conference seeks to foster a pan-African approach to improving access to innovative cancer therapies.
“There is power in numbers. African countries need to work together to improve access to modern therapies rather than acting individually,” she said.
She noted that the inaugural Best of ASCO Africa meeting in Ethiopia attracted fewer than 100 participants, while this year’s conference has drawn more countries, greater sponsorship and wider participation.
Need for African participation in clinical trials.
Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Dr. Julie Gralow, said one of the biggest concerns is that many cancer drugs currently transforming care globally have had little or no participation from African patients during clinical trials.
“Many of these therapies have not been adequately tested in people of African heritage, so we do not fully know whether the benefits and side effects will be the same,” she said.
Gralow said another major challenge is the high cost of new cancer therapies, even in high-income countries.
She explained that discussions at the conference focused on how to make innovative treatments affordable and integrate them into public health insurance systems across Africa.
She also highlighted the growing partnership between ASCO and AORTIC, established through a 2020 memorandum of understanding, to strengthen oncology training and clinical research capacity across the continent.
According to her, the partnership has completed the first year of its Sub-Saharan Africa International Clinical Research Scholars Program, with applications for a second cohort expected to open in October.
The program trains early- and mid-career African researchers to design and conduct clinical research that reflects the realities and healthcare needs of African populations.
“Our partnership is about learning from one another and ensuring that quality cancer care becomes accessible regardless of where people live,” Gralow said.
Government expanding support for cancer care
Also, Director-General of the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Prof. Usman Malami Aliyu, said the conference provides a platform to adapt the latest scientific discoveries presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) to Nigeria’s and Africa’s realities.
Aliyu said that cancer treatment remains expensive worldwide but said the Federal Government has introduced measures to reduce the financial burden on patients.
He highlighted the Catastrophic Health Fund under the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), which supports cancer prevention, diagnosis, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as the National Cancer Health Fund, managed by NICRAT, to assist indigent cancer patients unable to afford treatment.
He also pointed to the Federal Government’s Presidential Initiative on Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, which aims to encourage local production of medicines and reduce dependence on imported cancer drugs.
“We are looking at how to domesticate expensive cancer treatments and medicines so they can become more accessible to Nigerians,” he said.
According to him, experts attending the conference will review major scientific breakthroughs presented at ASCO and determine how to translate them into clinical practice and public health interventions across Africa.