A vocation in service to life

With over 30 years of experience in oncology, Professor N’Sondé Malanda embodies the excellence, rigor, and humanity of the Congolese medical community. A full professor at CAMES since 2021, she trains the next generation as head of the Oncology program at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Marien Ngouabi University. Since 2024, she has also directed the Oncology Department at the Brazzaville University Hospital, where she works daily to improve patient care and strengthen the skills of healthcare teams. A woman of conviction, she also chairs the Association of Women Physicians of Congo and serves as vice-president of the African Organization for Cancer Research and Education (OAREC).

A field commitment

Throughout her career, the Professor has treated thousands of patients, particularly women suffering from the two most common cancers in Congo: breast and cervical cancer. These diseases, responsible for the majority of cancer deaths in the country, reveal an alarming fact: delayed diagnosis. “What I’ve observed from the start is the lack of information people suffer from,” she explains. “Even some healthcare professionals aren’t sufficiently trained. Ignorance kills more than the disease itself. More than 80% of women arrive at the hospital at an advanced stage, which explains the high mortality rate.”

To reverse this trend, Professor N’Sondé Malanda has partnered with cancer survivors to bring the message directly to the population. “We go to meet women in churches, town halls, and neighborhoods. We talk to them about the warning signs and emphasize a simple message:Early detection saves lives ».

A national strategy for a global challenge

Under his leadership, the National Cancer Control Program (PNLC) acts as a key lever in the government's health policy. Its objective: to coordinate, plan and evaluate actions for the prevention, screening and treatment of cancers.

Professor N’Sondé emphasizes the crucial role of strategic plans: “In the fight against cancer, the most important weapons are the laws. We are implementing national policy, and we are finalizing a strategic plan aimed at improving care, reducing risks and guaranteeing screening accessible to all.”

This approach is part of the WHO's global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, which is based on three pillars: HPV vaccination, early detection and effective treatment of precancerous lesions.

Cancer: a global public health problem

The figures speak for themselves: according to the WHO, the number of new cancer cases rose from 14.1 million in 2012 to 19.2 million in 2020, and could increase by 60% by 2040. In sub-Saharan Africa, the expected increase exceeds 80%, with a particularly high mortality rate from female cancers.

In Congo, the 2020 Globocan statistics report 2,478 new cases and 1,595 deaths, representing a 9.7% risk of developing cancer before the age of 75. Pediatric cancers account for approximately 8% of recorded cases. These figures highlight the scale of the challenge: limited access to care, high treatment costs, and a lack of equipment and qualified personnel.

A vision for the future

For Professor Judith N’Sondé Malanda, the fight against cancer goes beyond the purely medical sphere: “It’s a social and humanitarian cause. We must inform, prevent, treat, but also support patients and their families. Care must be accessible to all.” Her ambition is clear: to make Congo a country capable of detecting cancer early, treating it effectively, and preventing it in the long term.

Through her career, her determination, and her humanist vision, Professor N’Sondé Malanda embodies a generation of African doctors who refuse to give up. A pioneer who believes, more than ever, that science and solidarity can conquer cancer.