Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges, Transforming Cancer Care in Africa

The 2025 Annual Meeting, themed “Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges, Transforming Cancer Care in Africa,” will unite global and African experts to tackle the complex challenges of cancer care across the continent. With a strong emphasis on leveraging both local and international expertise, the event will create a platform for collaborative efforts aimed at transforming cancer research, treatment, and policy reform. By engaging stakeholders across various sectors, including healthcare, industry, and academia, the conference will explore innovative strategies to address the continent’s cancer burden.

Throughout a series of carefully designed sessions, participants will delve into a wide range of topics central to improving cancer care in Africa. African experts will be at the forefront of discussions, bringing unique insights into the region’s socio-economic and healthcare challenges, as well as successful local initiatives. Global partnerships, especially collaborations with industry, will be highlighted as essential drivers for advancing cancer research. These collaborations, involving both African and international researchers, will emphasize the need for funding prioritization for basic science and translational research, with African-specific cancer needs as a focal point.

Key sessions will explore clinical innovations in cancer treatment, focusing on cutting-edge therapies and interventions developed with the support of industry partners. These will be tailored to meet the unique demands of African populations, particularly considering infrastructure constraints, limited access to healthcare, and disparities in treatment availability. African experts will present case studies showcasing how personalized medicine, clinical trials, and emerging treatments have been adapted to the continent’s context, improving patient outcomes.

The conference will also focus on translating research into clinical practice, examining strategies for effectively implementing evidence-based interventions across Africa’s diverse healthcare systems. African specialists, in collaboration with global counterparts, will highlight the role of industry in bridging the gap between research and real-world clinical applications, ensuring that breakthroughs in research lead to tangible improvements in patient care.

Socio-economic determinants of health will be a key focus, with discussions centred on how these factors impact cancer research and treatment in Africa. African and global participants will explore the role of industry collaborations in addressing inequalities in access to care, resource distribution, and funding. By drawing on successful partnerships, the conference will promote equity in healthcare delivery and advocate for innovative solutions to reduce cancer disparities.

Attendees will also learn about the latest breakthroughs in basic cancer research, including advancements in cancer biology, genetics, and disease mechanisms that are shaping the future of oncology. African researchers will present their contributions to these fields, underscoring how industry collaborations have enhanced their capacity to conduct cutting-edge research. These efforts will be positioned as crucial for driving forward innovations that can improve cancer care across the continent.

Additionally, the importance of clinical trials and patient-centered research will be emphasized, with a focus on initiatives that prioritize African populations. Industry-backed efforts to improve clinical trial design, implementation, and patient engagement will be discussed, with African experts offering insights into the challenges and successes of conducting trials on the continent. This dialogue will underscore the value of industry partnerships in advancing cancer research while ensuring that patients in Africa benefit from the latest scientific developments.

Overall, the conference will provide a comprehensive forum for fostering collaborations between African and global experts, as well as industry leaders, to develop actionable solutions for advancing cancer care in Africa. By focusing on partnerships, innovation, and equity, the event aims to break down barriers and build bridges that will lead to transformative progress in cancer prevention, detection, and treatment across the continent.