Cancer in Burundi: to “wait for death”

7,6 million people die of cancer worldwide every year. In Burundi, cancer is not the main concern of the Public Health Ministry which decided to ‘celebrate’ International Cancer Day every February 4th by holding a mere workshop. The Burundian Alliance Against Cancer (“Alliance Burundaise de Lutte Contre le Cancer”), active since June 2008, speaks up.-Joanna Nganda

Nelly Keza, “In Burundi, when you have cancer […], all you can do is take pain medicine, and wait for death.”©Iwacu

The right to fight

At a time when multiple studies have shown that cancer is increasing in developing countries, it is hard to understand the loneliness of the Alliance in its fight against cancer. Nelly Keza states that preventing cervical cancer is easy since there is a vaccine against it; holding vaccination campaigns for women countrywide can be done and it’s a shame it is not done yet. “In Burundi, when you have cancer and don’t have money to get treated abroad, all you can do is take pain medicine, and wait for death”, indicates Nelly Keza, explaining that treatment for cancer is very expensive and lasts a long time. The average Burundian is not able to afford it and doesn’t have the chance to even try to fight cancer. Although there’s apparently no solution, Nelly Keza insists on the fact that prevention and awareness-raising must continue. “At least, the patient will know what he/she is suffering from. Knowing also keeps the patient from wasting money in trying to take random medicine that won’t cure the disease. In fact, quite often doctors at the common health center upcountry can do all the tests necessary but still be unable to find cancer. Then, they just give you medicine to try and cure the ‘mysterious’ illness. For cancer in Burundi, much more has to be done and February 4th should not be neglected”, concludes Nelly Keza.