Tel Aviv-based FemTech company MobileODT, in partnership with Cingulate Medical, has announced phase one of its planned rollout of a large-scale National Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer screening and treatment program in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The program is the initiative of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi Tshilombo, and will highlight the importance of women’s health in the DRC. Mobile ODT provides complete screening and treatment solutions for women’s health.
Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for about 66% (196,000) of estimated global maternal deaths according to a joint report released by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank Group in 2019. Cervical and breast cancers are the top two cancers among women in the DRC. Close to 8,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, with 5,550 dying from it, every year. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
This program, using groundbreaking Israeli technology, will allow millions of Congolese women access to lifesaving healthcare solutions. This will be the most comprehensive and largest cervical and breast cancer screening and treatment program in Africa.
“We are extremely proud that the MobileODT screening and treatment technologies have been selected to be part of this endeavor in the DRC,” said Leon Boston, MobileODT’s CEO.
“Our turnkey screen and treat offering, from HPV testing to visual inspection and thermocoagulation treatment, offers a complete single-visit solution. With our single-visit solution, we overcome the two main issues in the developing world: accessibility and loss to follow-up. We are privileged to contribute to saving lives and changing outcomes for so many women.”
Mobile ODT and Cingulate Medical will also assist the DRC Health Ministry in developing a cancer registry. This registry is necessary in the DRC health system for better epidemiological monitoring of cancer and surveillance data and for the development of cancer control policies and their integration into primary health care.
Credit: JNS
