WeeklySA_AdminSYSTEMS: Alarming weaknesses in public health facilities across South Africa and Zimbabwe are sabotaging their ability to detect cancer early, according to a local study…
By WSAM Reporter
A groundbreaking study led by the University of Cape Town (UCT) has exposed serious shortcomings in the readiness of public health facilities across Southern Africa to diagnose cancer early, raising fresh concerns about the region’s ability to combat one of the world’s fastest-growing health threats.
The study has identified poor staffing, weak referral systems and limited diagnostic equipment as key factors delaying life-saving treatment for thousands of patients.
The study, titled “Health Facility Preparedness for Early Detection of Symptomatic Cancer in Southern Africa: A Multi-centre Cross-sectional Study”, examined 34 public-sector health facilities across South Africa’s Western and Eastern Cape provinces as well as Harare and Bulawayo in Zimbabwe.
Researchers focused on the detection and referral systems for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers — three of the region’s most common and deadly cancers.
They found that primary healthcare clinics, which are often the first point of contact for patients, were severely under-equipped to identify cancer symptoms early enough for effective treatment.
Many facilities, especially in rural areas, had very few doctors, weak communication systems and inadequate transport arrangements to move patients to specialist hospitals.
According to the study, these failures mean patients frequently wait weeks or even months before reaching specialist centres capable of confirming a cancer diagnosis — by which stage the disease is often far more advanced and difficult to treat.
Lead author Associate Professor Tasleem Ras, head of UCT’s Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, said early diagnosis remained one of the most critical factors in improving cancer survival rates.
“Early diagnosis is one of the most important determinants of cancer survival. Yet in many African settings, patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, when treatment options are limited,” Ras said.
The study also uncovered glaring inequalities between different levels of care and between regions. While specialist hospitals generally had better resources, access to essential diagnostic equipment remained uneven.
Researchers found that mammography services — a key component in breast cancer diagnosis — were unavailable in all Zimbabwean hospitals included in the study.
Community awareness campaigns were similarly uneven. Most health facilities focused on cervical and breast cancer awareness, while colorectal cancer received almost no public engagement, with only one facility reporting outreach activities linked to the disease.
The research forms part of the African Awareness of Cancer and Early Diagnosis (AWACAN-ED) programme, funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
To address the crisis, the study recommends strengthening healthcare infrastructure in remote areas, improving communication and record-keeping systems, developing faster referral pathways for suspected cancer patients, and ensuring reliable non-emergency transport for rural communities.
Ras said the findings provide policymakers and healthcare planners with a clear roadmap to improve cancer care systems across the region.
“This research offers a detailed picture of where the gaps are, and where interventions can have the most impact,” she said.
“It gives policymakers, clinicians and researchers a roadmap for strengthening cancer care systems in the region.”
