According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over the past 20 years new cancer cases have more than doubled in the African region, but 40% of cancer deaths are preventable.
As the world observed World Cancer Day on Thursday, the WHO said there are many factors which contribute to the increasing cancer burden in Africa.
These include increased exposure to known cancer risk factors, such as smoking; alcohol; a diet high in sugar, salt and fat; being overweight, and environmental pollution among others.
Cancer remains the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for one in six deaths in 2018, while breast cancer has now overtaken lung cancer as the world’s mostly commonly diagnosed cancer.