Breast cancer survivors struggle to access care in The Gambia

In The Gambia, Princess Adjoba Nyaniba, a breast cancer survivor, must continue to undergo annual follow-up examinations, but limited access to mammography services complicates her care, reports Kerr Fatou. On her doctors’ advice, she is also keeping a tube inserted during her treatment until the recommended time for its removal.

Nyaniba said she was surprised to learn that her symptoms were those of cancer. She described sudden and intense pain, without associating it with the disease, and said she remained hopeful after doctors explained that they could treat her. She also credits much of her recovery to the moral support and encouragement of those around her.

The survivor stresses that treatment costs weigh heavily on patients and their relatives. Patients often rely on help from their families, friends and well-wishers, but this support can run out as costs mount. She also warns about stigma, hurtful comments and social isolation, which worsen their suffering.

Nyaniba calls on families and communities to treat people with cancer with dignity and compassion. She encourages women facing the disease to talk about their experience and ask for help. Her testimony echoes calls for early screening made by a Cape Verdean association in the fight against cancer, discussed in this call for screening.