Founded in 2001, the AMCC, a non-governmental organization (NGO) governed by the French law of 1901, is the French branch of the INCTR (International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research), which focuses primarily on cancers affecting women and children. Its goal is to strengthen the fight against cancer in low- and middle-income countries through training, education, teaching, and research, with support for therapeutic care.
The involvement and commitment to countries in the Global South stem from the observation that access to healthcare is unequal, due in particular to a lack of infrastructure, a shortage of specialists, training difficulties, and poverty.
Contrary to popular belief, cancer is and will increasingly become a major public health issue in sub-Saharan Africa. With 270 million inhabitants in 2011, representing 27% of Africa's population (one billion), the 20 French-speaking sub-Saharan countries (out of 54 states in Africa) are characterized by a still very high fertility rate, while life expectancy is increasing. The number of new cancer cases, currently around 300,000 per year, will, as everywhere else in the world, continue to rise rapidly, reaching 600,000 to 800,000 new cases per year within 20 years. Cancer mortality (around 80% of cases today), which is already much higher than in high-income countries and contrary to what is observed there, will increase in parallel with incidence if the current catastrophic situation does not change.
That is why cancer must now be included among each country's health priorities. The fight against cancer is complex and requires the combined expertise of many doctors and non-doctors, and preventive measures must be taken early on, as it takes 15 to 20 years to see the results. It is important to remember that early diagnosis of curable cancers (especially in young people and women) is more effective and less costly.
In this context, the AMCC has defined its priority objectives: to promote the fight against cancer through exchanges between professionals, continuing education for local medical and non-medical teams, and the preparation and implementation of research projects, which will improve everyday care. Its unique feature is that it places great importance on training local doctors, nurses, and technicians: without competent and reliable professionals, no team can hope to treat any form of cancer properly.
