Cancer in Benin: a health emergency that calls for action
For a long time, cancer was seen as a distant, almost abstract fate. Today, it intrudes brutally into Benin’s daily life.
Statistics speak for themselves. Thousands of families are already living with the disease and each year, new cases add to a health situation that has become critical.
On the occasion of World Cancer Day, celebrated on February 4, 2026, health authorities have once again highlighted a worrying reality. The country records about 7,500 new cases per year, while more than 15,000 people are currently being followed for cancer, according to data from the National Program for the Fight Against Non-Communicable Diseases.
In the face of this constant progression, the Ministry of Health has launched a National Plan to Fight Cancer covering the 2024-2028 period, with a particular emphasis on prevention and screening.
Analysis of the affected profiles reveals a greater vulnerability among women, who account for the majority of new diagnoses. Cancers of the breast and the cervix occupy a central place, followed by liver cancer. Among men, the prostate remains the first site affected, ahead of liver and colon cancers.
When the disease is detected too late
The real tragedy lies not only in the number of cases, but in the speed with which the disease takes its victims. Each year, more than 5,000 deaths are attributed to cancer. In the majority of cases, diagnosis occurs late.
The first signs are often discreet, sometimes overlooked, until the disease reaches a stage where therapeutic options become limited.
Health professionals remind that some signals should never be trivialized. An unusual lump, abnormal bleeding, persistent digestive disorders, non-healing lesions, or urinary difficulties should lead without delay to a medical consultation.
Rely on prevention to reverse the trend
To stop the progression of cancer, the national strategy focuses above all on prevention. An approach summarized by a simple and memorable rule: eliminate alcohol and tobacco, adopt a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, maintain regular physical activity, and limit salt, sugar, and fats in daily meals.
Prevention also includes vaccination. Protection against human papillomavirus in young girls constitutes a major lever to sustainably reduce cervical cancer. Vaccination against hepatitis B remains, for its part, an essential shield against liver cancer.
Cancer is no longer a marginal topic in Benin. It now demands a change in behaviours, heightened vigilance, and a collective response. For in the face of this disease, inaction costs more than prevention.
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