As a Member of the AstraZeneca Global Breast Cancer Care Council and the Concordia Leadership Council, I welcome the publication of Repaying the Debt to Women: Breast Cancer Policy Report, developed following the Breast Cancer Care Luncheon during the 2025 Concordia Summit on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week, where I had the honour to contribute.

The report demonstrates with clarity that inequities in early detection, timely diagnosis, and comprehensive breast cancer care continue to cost women their lives. With global incidence projected to reach 3.2 million new cases annually by 2050, the need for systemic reform is urgent. The Breast Cancer Care Quality Index #BCCQI provides governments and health systems with a practical, evidence-based framework to identify gaps, strengthen infrastructure, and align National Cancer Control Plans with equitable standards of care.

Insights from the Luncheon’s expert roundtables highlight the need to expand diagnostic capacity, embed accessible community-based screening models, confront stigma through patient-led advocacy, and invest in robust data systems capable of guiding targeted reforms. The report also affirms a mission long championed by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, that only sustained collaboration between governments, civil society, industry, and patient groups can deliver the scale and durability of impact required.

For Nigeria, these recommendations align closely with current frontline priorities, which, by strengthening diagnostic pathways, integrating breast health within primary and maternal healthcare platforms, and incorporating BCCQI indicators into planning frameworks, offer tangible pathways for progress. Through the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we remain committed to advancing women-centred health education, early detection awareness, patient navigation, and strengthened frontline capacity.

As reflected in my remarks within the report, inequities in breast cancer care are structural in nature, with consequences that extend across families, communities, and economies. Addressing them is both a public health necessity and a foundation for more inclusive and resilient societies.

I commend AstraZeneca, Concordia, Siemens Healthineers, Merck, Movement Health, and all expert partners for advancing a coherent and actionable agenda to improve breast cancer outcomes globally.