Saturday, June 22, 2013

Cancer: Not an African problem?

"Deaths from cancer worldwide outnumber the combined deaths from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Yet one of the most predominant misperceptions about the disease is that cancer is not really an African problem. Africans, it sometimes appears, get malaria and tuberculosis, but not cancer. It is not to say that research into tropical diseases is not necessary and important, but when was the last time you saw a charity campaigning for donations, or calling for applications to support cancer research and treatment in Africa? In fact, non-communicable diseases, and cancer in particular, contribute to more deaths in the developing world than the diseases of poverty more commonly associated with Africa." 

Read more: Science in Africa

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