The evolving epidemic of breast cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa

Our article “The evolving epidemic of breast cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa: Results from the African Cancer Registry Network” published in the International Journal of Cancer (IJC) has been selected for a special online Virtual Issue. This manuscript was prepared by Dr Yvonne Joko-Fru, supervised by Dr Max Parkin and Dr Paul McGale (Uni of Oxford). 

What's new?

Online basic training course 2020

In collaboration with the Eldoret Cancer Registry and the Nairobi Cancer Registry, AFCRN is hosting a basic Cancer Registration Training Course online from July - October 2020.  This course is being sponsored by the International Cancer Institute, Eldoret Kenya.  

Examination date: Thursday 15th October 2020

We have had over 50 students took part in the Exam. Please kindly wait patiently while we mark the sheets.  We will then issue the correct answer sheet here while each of you will be notified individually about your outcome. 

Instruction: 80% passing mark. 

 

Cancer in Sub Saharan Africa Vol III

Cancer in Sub Saharan Africa Vol III is testimony to the commitment of IARC and UICC to the recommendation in the WHA resolution "to collect high-quality population-based incidence and mortality data on cancer, for all age groups by cancer type, including measurements of inequalities, through population-based cancer registries, household surveys and other health information systems in order to guide policies and plans". It represents the fruits of the labours of the members of the African Cancer Registry Network over the past few years, bringing together their results in terms of the incidence of different cancers (by age group and sex) in the populations which they serve, for periods generally between 2010 and 2017. This volume includes results from 31 cancer registries in 22 countries, eight of which are new (not appearing in Volume II).

Multi-national workshop: Cancer Epidemiology meets Infectiology in Africa

A multi-national Workshop on Cancer Epidemiology meets Infectiology in Africa was jointly hosted by the African Cancer Registry Network, the Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Informatics at the Medical Faculty of Martin-Luther-University-Halle, Germany and the Department of Pathology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. 

There is a gap in linking cancer control and the high prevalence of infectious diseases which still exists  in Africa. The Workshop aimed to facilitate development of a consortium including cancer experts from sub Saharan Africa and infectious diseases scientists, in order to establish a research collaboration linking international experts to tackle the challenges of the increasing number of cancer patients in sub Saharan Africa who have underlying causative infectious diseases. This conference will set the ground for networking, assessment of  available information on cancer and its infectious causes, and the exchange of ideas and development of activities.
       This workshop helped develop projects linking population-based data on cancer and infectious diseases in Africa to generate hypotheses and identify possible options for interventions. In addition, the AFCRN Member Registries reviewed their activities in 2017-2018 (with a focus on infectious causes of cancer), policies and membership criteria; and  plan activities for the Network in 2019.

The Workshop was sponsored by the VolkswagenStiftung Foundation. 

15th Oct 2018

AFCRN

The African Cancer Registry Network (AFCRN) was formally inaugurated on 1st March, 2012, and succeeded and expanded the activities of the East African Cancer Registry Network (EARN), which had been established in January 2011, thanks to a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (USA).

AFCRN is a project of the Cancer Registry Programme of the International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (INCTR). It is supported financially through The (INCTR) Challenge Fund, a registered UK charity (charity number 1079181) that raises funds for INCTR projects. The Challenge Fund in turn receives donations designated to support cancer registry activities in low and middle income countries.

AFCRN aims to improve the effectiveness of cancer surveillance in sub Saharan Africa by providing expert evaluation of current problems and technical support to remedy identified barriers, with long-term goals of strengthening health systems and creating research platforms for the identification of problems, priorities, and targets for intervention. Support to AFCRN is a recognition of the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases, and especially cancer, in the continent, and the need for adequate surveillance as a fundamental part of any rational programme for cancer control.

Since September 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in the framework of its Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (GICR), has partnered with AFCRN to provide a network Regional Hub for cancer registration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The role of a regional hub is in:

  • providing technical and scientific support to countries;
  • delivering tailored training in population-based cancer registration and use of data;
  • advocating the cause of cancer registration in the region and facilitating setting up associations and networks of cancer registries; and
  • coordinating international research projects and disseminating findings

The role of INCTR is provision of a secretariat and coordinating centre for the Network, which assists in implementing the Programme of Activities.

 

Current Network Members

Advisory Group