Kisumu County First Lady Dorcas Nyong’o was appointed to the Africa Breast Cancer Council, a nonprofit which seeks to clamp down on breast cancer within the continent.
Dorothy will work alongside other distinguished group of women in driving vital policy changes and improving access to care for women affected by breast cancer.
Taking to his X account, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o congratulated his spouse on the appointment. “Congratulations to Mama Kisumu, Dorothy Nyong’o, on your appointment to the Africa Breast Cancer Council,” he shared.
The Council was formed by women African leaders to mobilize resources and create awareness about breast cancer which plagues the African continent.
According to the National Library of Medicine, breast cancer tops as the most diagnosed cancer among females in Africa and accounts for the highest number of cancer-related deaths in this demographic.
Breast cancer is the global leader of cancer-related deaths in women and affects approximately 2.1 million women globally every year.
The Council noted it will be partnering with Roche, one of the world’s largest biotech companies to advance its mandate of fighting breast cancer. The organisation made the announcement in a communique to promote World Breast Cancer Awareness.
One of the organisation's key goals is to reduce the period for breast cancer diagnosis from 6 months to less than 2 months as well as overcome challenges facing cancer diagnosis, especially in less developed societies.
The formation of the Africa Breast Cancer Council is expected to boost efforts to contain breast cancer among women in Africa. Given survival rates of breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa is quite low.
The Council observed that over 60 per cent of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at late stages, which drastically reduces survival chances and increases treatment costs.
Besides Dorothy Nyong’o, Kenyan Miriam Mutebi, who is the first female breast cancer surgeon and Magda Robalo, president and co-founder of The Institute for Global Health and Development of Guinea-Bissau was also appointed to the Council.
The ten-member council will work together in synergy to promote healthcare justice as well as initiate partnerships that will help improve cancer screening and diagnosis.
