Mozambique records around 25,000 cases of cancer per year

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Mozambique records around 25,000 cases of cancer per year

5:52 CAT | 06 Jun 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: AIM]

Mozambique records around 25,000 cases of all types of cancer annually, of which 17,000 result in death, health authorities estimated today, pointing to the lack of qualified professionals as the main challenge.

“We have around 25,000 new cases of cancer [annually], and the mortality rate remains relatively high. […] It is estimated that mortality will reach up to 17,000,” Cesaltina Lorenzoni, head of the National Cancer Control Programme reported during a multidisciplinary seminar on the disease in Maputo.

According to Lorenzoni, one of the difficulties that the country currently faces in diagnosing and treating cancer is the lack of specialised health professionals.

“One of the issues that we are most concerned about is the lack of trained medical personnel for this area. Ten years ago, cancer was not a priority. We had doctors trained in different specialties […], and there was not much focus on oncology,” she explained.

Lorenzoni said that the health sector was designing a training plan for cancer professionals.

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“We are creating a training plan for local professionals. We are mobilizing general practitioners and we are currently allocating these practitioners to all general, central and provincial hospitals. […] This not only alleviates the burden on Maputo Central Hospital, but also improves access to services for the population,” she explained.

Lorenzoni highlighted cervical cancer, breast cancer and Kaposi sarcoma as among the most-diagnosed pathologies.

Source: Lusa