Women account for nearly 60% of the people diagnosed with cancer each year in Rwanda, according to figures from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
RBC’s cancer control department says about 6,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Rwanda every year, with women making up the majority of those cases.
The figures were released on October 1, 2026, as Rwanda launched activities for Pink October, a month dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment.
Among women, breast and cervical cancers are among the most commonly diagnosed, while prostate cancer is one of the cancers most frequently affecting men.
Health officials are urging people to undergo regular cancer screening even when they have no symptoms, saying early detection can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment.
Cancer burden continues to grow globally
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) shows that about 20 million new cancer cases were recorded globally in 2022, while more than 9.7 million people died from the disease.
WHO also estimates that cancer caused nearly 10 million deaths worldwide in 2024.
Breast cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers globally. In 2024, about 2.4 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, while approximately 694,000 died from the disease.
In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 146,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, with more than 71,000 deaths attributed to the disease, according to WHO data.
In Rwanda, IARC data for 2022 recorded 7,122 new cases of cancer, with 4,887 deaths attributed to the disease.
Among Rwandan women, cervical cancer was the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 2022, followed by breast cancer.
Pink October activities begin in Kicukiro
Pink October activities were officially launched in Kicukiro District, where RBC, in partnership with the Embassy of Nigeria in Rwanda, also launched Labscroll Medicals, a Nigerian healthcare company providing medical and laboratory testing services, including cancer screening.
Dr. Paul Ogbole Peter, the company’s Managing Director, said the organisation aims to screen 200 women for breast and cervical cancer and 200 men for prostate cancer during the awareness month.
Health authorities and partners are using Pink October to encourage more people to seek screening and learn about cancer prevention, particularly because some cancers can develop without obvious symptoms in their early stages.
