Healthcare barriers and cancer care in Africa

Healthcare systems in Ghana and South Africa face significant obstacles in managing and preventing diseases, particularly cancer. In Ghana, patients encounter systemic hurdles including high costs, transportation issues, and confusing referral pathways, which prevent many from transitioning from symptom recognition to necessary treatments like biopsies.

In South Africa, challenges include inadequate staff training, resource shortages, and limited laboratory access, which hinder early cervical cancer detection. Additionally, experts note that introducing new preventative measures, such as a gonorrhoea vaccine, will require overcoming vaccine hesitancy and social stigma.

Specific infrastructure deficiencies have been identified in Ghana, notably a potential lack of functioning linear accelerator (LINAC) machines required for precision radiotherapy. To address these gaps, there are proposals to establish a dedicated cancer and disease research centre at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), with calls for increased investment in advanced medical equipment and professional training.