Frank Annoh-Dompreh, Chairman of the Pan-African Parliament’s Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs, is spearheading the creation of Africa’s first harmonised legal framework on cancer. This ambitious initiative aims to unify approaches to cancer prevention, treatment, financing, and research across all 55 African Union member states. The proposed legislation, called the Africans Beating Cancer (ABC) Model Law, represents a significant step towards addressing a critical public health challenge on the continent.
The initiative comes as Africa faces a rapidly escalating cancer crisis. The continent currently records approximately 1.2 million new cancer cases each year. Projections indicate this figure could surge to 2.1 million annually by 2040 if no urgent action is taken. Cancer-related deaths are also expected to rise significantly, reaching 1.4 million per year by 2040. This model law seeks to provide a comprehensive legal backbone to combat these alarming trends.
This legislative push aligns with broader efforts to strengthen public health infrastructure and improve healthcare outcomes across Africa. Ghana, like many African nations, grapples with the economic and social costs of non-communicable diseases. The absence of robust legal frameworks has historically hindered effective cancer control. This continental law could provide a template for national governments to enhance their healthcare policies and resource allocation for cancer care. It also reflects a growing recognition of the need for collaborative, cross-border solutions to shared health challenges.
Mr. Annoh-Dompreh stated, “we are simply preparing to pass a model law on cancer.” He explained that this framework would enable individual African countries to integrate the legislation into their national laws. This domestication process will strengthen their existing national cancer control programmes. The initiative follows his pledge upon assuming office to champion model laws addressing major public health issues, including cancer, malaria, and mental health.
The implementation of the ABC Model Law is expected to have far-reaching implications. Beyond saving lives, the framework is projected to deliver substantial economic benefits. Estimates presented to the Committee suggest that effective implementation could save more than 60,000 lives annually. It could also expand Africa-led clinical trials and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for specialised treatment. Early-adopting countries are projected to realise economic gains equivalent to between 1.5% and 3% of their Gross Domestic Product over a decade. This highlights the significant economic burden that untreated cancer places on national economies.
A presentation to the Committee underscored the severity of Africa’s cancer burden. It revealed that nearly half of African countries still lack radiotherapy facilities, denying millions access to essential treatment. The presentation argued that the primary challenge is not a lack of medical knowledge or treatment options. Instead, it is the absence of enforceable legal frameworks guaranteeing access to prevention, diagnosis, and care. Vaccines, screening technologies, and effective treatments already exist, yet many patients die due to the lack of comprehensive national cancer laws.
The burden is particularly severe for cervical cancer, which claims nearly 75,000 African women annually. This is despite it being largely preventable through vaccination and early screening. Childhood blood cancers also present a stark contrast: survival rates reach about 90% in wealthy countries, but up to seven out of every 10 affected African children die due to limited treatment access. The proposed ABC Model Law aims to reverse these disparities by strengthening prevention, expanding early detection, and improving access to treatment across the continent.
The draft legislation, developed by Partners for Patients NGO in collaboration with the Pan-African Parliament’s Permanent Health Committee, will now undergo parliamentary debate. Following this, it will be presented to national legislatures for domestication. The law covers a broad spectrum of cancer care, including prevention, screening, treatment, palliative care, financing, research, access to medicines, clinical trials, and the protection of patients’ rights. This comprehensive approach is vital for creating a sustainable and effective cancer control strategy across Africa.