A public-private partnership formed in 2011, Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is dedicated to combating cervical and breast cancer in sub-Saharan African nations. The organization operates in Namibia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia, drawing on the combined resources of the George W. Bush Institute, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and Susan G. Komen. Together, these institutions work to raise awareness of women’s cancers while expanding access to quality diagnostic services and treatment options.

1. Susan G. Komen Pursues
PRRR Goals with Zambia
Cancer Services Survey

2. A public-private partnership formed in 2011,
Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is dedicated to
combating cervical and breast cancer in sub-
Saharan African nations.

3. The organization operates in Namibia, Ethiopia,
Tanzania, Botswana, and Zambia, drawing on
the combined resources of the George W. Bush
Institute, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief, the Joint United Nations
Programme on HIV/AIDS, and Susan G.
Komen.

4. Together, these institutions work to raise
awareness of women’s cancers while
expanding access to quality diagnostic services
and treatment options.

5. In May 2015, Susan G. Komen announced the
results of a survey designed to assist in
creating a framework for the control and
prevention of women’s cancers in Zambia.
Projections indicate that Zambia and other
developing nations will see up to a 60 percent
increase in cancer rates over the next 20 years,
and in Zambia, this poses a particular threat to
women.

6. Breast and cervical cancer not only account for
approximately half of all cancer cases in the
country but also have the highest mortality rate
among all forms of cancer. “A Comprehensive
Assessment of Breast and Cervical Cancer
Control in Zambia” is the first study on the
country to provide national data on women’s
cancer services.

7. It provides an in-depth assessment of the
current state of Zambia’s breast and cervical
cancer treatment services, highlighting a
number of areas for improvement. The survey
cites issues such as an insufficient number of
qualified health care providers and the
difficulties faced by rural communities in
accessing cancer treatment.

8. It also offers guidelines for the actions that
governmental and nonprofit organizations can
take to make preventive, diagnostic, and
treatment services more accessible to Zambian
communities and reduce national cancer
mortality rates. These proposed solutions
include the establishment of a national women’
s cancer control center, as well as medical
training programs to grow the number of
pathologists and surgical oncologists.