Cancer is one of the largest public health threats facing our world today.

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In Africa, cancer death rates have surpassed those of Aids, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Despite the high death rate each year, cancer is still relatively misunderstood and not often discussed. However, everyone needs to be aware of this disease and how they can prevent and screen for it.

February 4 is World Cancer Day and serves as a global platform to raise awareness, improve education, and catalyse personal, collective and government action.

Becton Dickinson (BD), a leading global medical technology and diagnostics provider, and PinkDrive are rallying to bring awareness and education to three of the biggest cancers affecting Africa.

Breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer have impacted the lives of millions of Africans. In Africa, breast and cervical cancer are the top two cancers affecting women and prostate cancer is the main cancer concern for men.

BD has partnered with PinkDrive, which is setting up screening and referral facilities at the Baragwanath Taxi Rank near CH Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto on February 3. PinkDrive is a leading NGO dedicated to creating and promoting awareness about cancer in South Africa, and potentially beyond.

The initiative will provide cancer education and mobilise members of the public to go for screening because early detection is key to managing and beating cancer.

With the support of BD, PinkDrive will be screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancer through mobile point-of-contact service delivery by skilled certificated medical/nursing practitioners.

“We are all aware of the acute challenges health systems are now facing. The ‘secondary’ impact of the crisis on cancer and other non-communicable diseases, over the longer term, has the potential to result in an even greater loss of life.

“This year is the start to aggressive awareness, improved cancer services to communities, increased cancer knowledge to the nation and bigger circles of support and commitment to be provided in SA. Cancer is on the rise and every citizen of South Africa either has or is affected by cancer,” said Noelene Kotschan, CEO of PinkDrive.

BD supports cancer education and aims to improve access to solutions needed for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. It forms part of continued research and development of products and technologies used to diagnose and treat cancer patients throughout every stage of cancer care.

“Cancer affects Africans across all walks of life, and it is up to each one of us to be responsible for our health and go for early screening. If we can act with certainty and speed to identify risks and secure a diagnosis, we can either prevent cancer or start treatment early to reduce the severity of the disease and save lives.

“BD is committed to improving access and quality of cancer solutions across the entire patient pathway – from prevention, through treatment and to cure,” explained Ian Wakefield, GM of BD Africa.

When most people think about cancer treatment, their minds probably go to radiation and chemotherapy. While these methods are still the primary types of treatment for various kinds of cancer, the technology used to administer them has changed a great deal.

For example, the introduction of brachytherapy as a treatment option for prostate cancer allows the radioactive source to kill the cancer cells while causing less damage to healthy tissue nearby.

For breast cancer, a vacuum-assisted biopsy is an alternative to surgical biopsy and is a minimally invasive procedure in which a sample of breast tissue is removed for examination when a lump or mass has been detected either through a clinical breast exam or a mammogram.

Working to reach as many people as possible this World Cancer Day across Africa, BD has also partnered with Africa Health Business (AHB) to pilot innovative approaches for early screening and early detection of human papillomavirus (HPV). This includes investigating self-screening modalities to improve access to care for women in rural and other under-resourced areas of Africa.

HPV is an indicator of risk for cervical cancer and, if detected and treated on time, helps to prevent cervical cancer.

To increase the number of African women getting tested for cervical cancer and to receive an early diagnosis that can be treated, it is key to bring HPV self-sampling solutions outside the care facility and to the women and their homesteads. To advance implementation, awareness needs to be increased at the healthcare provider level, stigma and myths need to be overcome, and financing for HPV self-sampling tests needs to be prioritised at national and district government levels.

“In Africa, we can jumpstart all these to the next level through partnerships, collaborations and innovations across the entire health system,” said Marloes Kibacha, MD of AHB.