Political Will and Government Commitment for Cancer Care in Africa

April 28, 2026

By Rose Ihuoma Anorlu, MBBS, FWACS, FMCOG

Editor’s note:
This expert perspective accompanies STO’s article, “Equitable Access Is Not Automatic: What It Takes to Deliver Cancer Care in Africa,” which examines the delivery gap in oncology systems. Dr. Anorlu expands on a critical enabling factor: the role of political will and government commitment in scaling sustainable cancer care.

Cancer is an increasing public health and development challenge across Africa. Progress, however, depends not only on clinical capacity, but also on political will.

Incidence and mortality are rising, yet cancer care remains underfunded and underprioritized in many countries. Limited domestic financing, weak health infrastructure, shortages of trained personnel, and competing health priorities continue to constrain access to prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care.

Strong political will and sustained government commitment are essential to address these gaps. Governments play a decisive role in setting national priorities, mobilizing resources, strengthening health systems, and ensuring equitable access to comprehensive cancer services. Without high-level political leadership, national cancer control efforts are unlikely to achieve scale, sustainability, or impact.

Rwanda provides an important policy example. Despite being a small, low-income, landlocked country in East Africa, Rwanda is on track to achieve the World Health Organization’s 2030 cervical cancer elimination targets by 2027. This progress reflects deliberate government action, strong leadership, and sustained commitment at the highest political level.

Rwanda’s experience highlights a critical lesson for other African countries: meaningful progress in cancer control is possible when governments prioritize cancer within national health and development agendas, invest in implementation, and sustain political commitment over time.

About the Author

Rose Ihuoma Anorlu, MBBS, FWACS, FMCOG
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Lagos

Dr. Anorlu is a leading advocate for cervical cancer prevention and care in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa. Her work focuses on expanding access to screening, strengthening health systems, and advancing policy solutions to reduce the burden of cervical cancer. She has previously collaborated with STO on advancing cervical cancer education and innovation.