THE record of 2731 new cancer cases by the health sector between 2022 and 2025 represents lives upended, families strained and a health system pushed ever closer to its limits.
These are not just statistics released to mark World Cancer Day; they are the highest cases recorded to date. It is a warning bell that can no longer be ignored or softened by reassuring rhetoric.
Cancer has quietly but steadily moved from being perceived as a rare or foreign illness to becoming a daily reality for Basotho across all districts. Cervical cancer continuing to top the list among women is particularly troubling because it is, by global standards, one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when detected early. The persistence of high cervical cancer numbers is therefore not merely a medical problem; it is an indictment of weak screening, limited access to care and uneven public health priorities.
Health experts are right to point to lifestyle choices and dietary habits as contributing factors. The growing consumption of processed foods, physical inactivity and harmful habits are part of a broader social and economic shift that has not been matched with adequate public health education. However, it would be both unfair and inaccurate to place the burden solely on individuals. Choices are shaped by circumstances, and for many Basotho, healthy food is neither affordable nor easily accessible, while preventive health services remain distant, under-resourced or overstretched.
The voices of clinicians on the frontline, such as those from Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital and Sankatana Oncology Clinic, state that early detection saves lives, yet too many cancers in Lesotho are diagnosed late. Late diagnosis often means aggressive treatment, higher costs, poorer outcomes and immense emotional and financial strain on families. When doctors stress that early-stage cancer can often be treated effectively, sometimes even cured, the question that follows is unavoidable: why are we still failing to catch the disease early?
Part of the answer lies in weak screening systems. As private practitioners have noted, screening remains one of the weakest links in cancer care. The lack of a dedicated oncology centre, limited radiology services and shortages of specialised expertise force many patients to seek treatment in South Africa. This reality deepens inequality, as only those who can afford cross-border care have timely access to advanced treatment. For everyone else, delays become deadly.
The situation exposes a broader structural problem in Lesotho’s health system: cancer care has not been treated with the urgency it demands. While infectious diseases have rightly received sustained attention over the years, non-communicable diseases like cancer have crept forward without a commensurate response in funding, infrastructure and policy implementation. Yet cancer does not wait for economic growth or budget surpluses. It advances relentlessly, exploiting every gap in prevention, screening and treatment.
The warning from the World Health Organisation that cancer is now a public health emergency in Africa should resonate deeply in Maseru. With over a million new cases and nearly a million deaths annually on the continent, Lesotho is not facing this crisis alone. But being part of a continental trend does not absolve the country of responsibility. On the contrary, it demands stronger national leadership, clearer priorities and measurable action.
Prevention must become a central pillar of the national health agenda. This means sustained public education on diet, physical activity and harmful behaviours, starting from schools and extending into communities. It also means expanding HPV vaccination and ensuring that women across all ten districts have access to regular, reliable cervical cancer screening. Technology has made early detection easier and faster; the failure lies in access, not in innovation.
Equally important is investment in treatment capacity. A country recording thousands of new cancer cases each year cannot continue without a dedicated oncology centre and adequate diagnostic services. While regional partnerships are valuable, reliance on external systems is neither sustainable nor equitable. Cancer care should not depend on one’s ability to travel or pay in foreign currency.
Ultimately, the rising cancer burden challenges Lesotho to rethink how it values preventive healthcare and long-term planning. Cancer is expensive to treat, devastating to families and draining to the economy. Investing early in prevention, screening and local treatment capacity is not only a moral imperative but a sound economic decision.
The 2731 cases should force policymakers, health authorities and society at large to confront an uncomfortable truth: cancer is no longer a distant threat; it is here, growing and unforgiving. Whether these numbers become a catalyst for decisive action or merely another grim milestone will determine how many more Basotho will face this disease in the years to come.
