Local clinical trials can change trajectory of cancer in Africa

The World Cancer Day 2026 theme 'United by Unique' calls on us to place people, not diseases, at the centre of cancer care. In sub-Saharan Africa, this call is especially urgent. Cancer mortality remains unacceptably high, and behind every statistic is a life cut short by late diagnosis, limited access to treatment, and a lack of locally relevant evidence. Ethically conducted and locally led clinical trials offer one of the most powerful tools to change this reality. In many low-and middle-income countries, including across Africa, less than about 30 per cent of children with cancer survive, compared with more than 80 per cent in high-income countries. In this context, trials are far more than studies, they are an essential pathway to discovering treatments that not only work but are also practical and affordable within health systems and communities, argues Professor Mansoor Saleh, chairperson, Department of Haematology-Oncology and Founding Director, Cancer Center, Aga Khan University Medical College and Aga Khan University Hospital.