Tackling the cancer literacy needs: review findings from Africa and the way forward

Abstract

It is a verifiable fact that the incidence of cancer is on the rise on a global scale, including in Africa. A high level of cancer literacy is essential for patients, their families, and healthcare professionals to be able to undergo cancer screening, cope more effectively with a diagnosis, adhere to a treatment plan, and manage the disease more successfully. To date, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding cancer literacy on a global scale, and it has never been examined for the African continent as a whole. This chapter aims to illustrate the importance of cancer literacy, define it, and review the various survey instruments that have been employed in this field. Subsequently, the chapter presents an overview of cancer literacy in Africa, based on existing studies, and discuss the challenges and initiatives at all levels of society to enhance cancer literacy. In conclusion, the chapter presents a discussion of the way forward. The chapter illustrates the critical importance of cancer literacy and the necessity of collaborative initiatives to enhance cancer literacy at the political, organizational, community, and individual levels. This overview chapter and the concrete examples it presents may serve as a source of inspiration for this endeavor.