Unveiling the Dual Threat: How Microbial Infections and Healthcare Deficiencies Fuel Cervical and Prostate Cancer Deaths in Africa

Sep 21, 2026

Cervical and prostate cancer account for 7.1 and 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people globally in 2022, but rates rise markedly in Africa to 17.6 and 17.3, making them among the leading cancer causes. The review highlights human papillomavirus as a key driver of cervical cancer, while prostate cancer risks include ageing, genetics, race, geography, and family history. Yet these factors alone do not explain Africa’s more than twofold higher mortality. Searches across PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science synthesize evidence linking untreated microbial, especially sexually transmitted, infections and poor healthcare infrastructure to inflammation, hindered access to care, and limited prevention and control, contributing to high cancer deaths.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Risk factors and cancer burden

Rationale for re-examining drivers of mortality

Narrative review search and evidence synthesis

pathogens Review Unveiling the Dual Threat: How Microbial Infections and Healthcare Deficiencies Fuel Cervical and Prostate Cancer Deaths in Africa Sofian Abdul-Nasir 1, Hyungdon Lee 2, *, Md. Habibur Rahman 1, Johny Bajgai 1, Kyu-Jae Lee 1, Cheol-Su Kim 1 and Soo-Ki Kim 3, * Citation: Abdul-Nasir, S.; Lee, H.; Rahman, M.H.; Bajgai, J.; Lee, K.-J.; Kim, C.-S.; Kim, S.-K. Unveiling the Dual Threat: How Microbial Infections and Healthcare Deficiencies Fuel Cervical and Prostate Cancer Deaths in Africa. Pathogens 2024, 13, 243. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)pathogens13030243 Academic Editor: Vjekoslav Tomai´c Received: 25 January 2024 Revised: 6 March 2024 Accepted: 7 March 2024 Published: 10 March 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Convergence Medicine, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Republic of Korea; abdulnasirsofian62@gmail.com (S.A.-N.); medbio@yonsei.ac.kr (K.-J.L.); [cs-kim@yonsei.ac.kr](cs-kim@yonsei.ac.kr) (C.-S.K.) 2 Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon 24253, Republic of Korea 3 Research Institute of Metabolism and Inflammation, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Republic of Korea * Correspondence: [easydr@hanmail.net](easydr@hanmail.net) (H.L.); [kim6@yonsei.ac.kr](kim6@yonsei.ac.kr) (S.-K.K.); Tel.: +82-10-9594-2508 (S.-K.K.) Abstract: Cervical and prostate cancer account for 7.1 and 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people globally in 2022. These rates increased significantly to 17.6 and 17.3 in Africa, respectively, making them the second and third leading cause of cancer deaths in Africa, only surpassed by breast cancer. The human papillomavirus is the prime risk factor for cervical cancer infection. On the other hand, prostate cancer risks include ageing, genetics, race, geography, and family history. However, these factors alone cannot account for the high mortality rate in Africa, which is more than twice the global mortality rate for the two cancers. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science to select relevant articles using keywords related to microorganisms involved in cervical and prostate cancer and the impact of poor healthcare systems on the mortality rates of these two cancers in Africa by carrying out a detailed synopsis of the studies on microbial agents involved and the contributory factors to the deteriorating healthcare system in Africa. It became apparent that the developed countries come first in terms of the prevalence of cervical and prostate cancer. However, more people per capita in Africa die from these cancers as compared to other continents. Also, microbial infections (bacterial or viral), especially sexually transmitted infections, cause inflammation, which triggers the pathogenesis and progression of these cancers among the African population; this has been linked to the region’s deficient health infrastructure, making it difficult for people with microbial infections to access healthcare and hence making infection control and prevention challenging. Taken together, untreated microbial infections, primarily sexually transmitted infections due to the deficient healthcare systems in Africa, are responsible for the high mortality rate of cervical and prostate cancer. Keywords: cervical cancer; prostate cancer; bacteria; virus; Africa; mortality; healthcare 1. Introduction Cancer-related mortality remains a worrying concern in public health, accounting for approximately 10 million deaths annually [1] . Of all cancer-related deaths, cervi

FAQs

What cancer deaths and mortality patterns are emphasized for Africa?

Cervical and prostate cancer account for higher death rates in Africa than globally in 2022, with Africa rates rising to 17.6 and 17.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The paper frames this as a major and increasing public health concern.

Which risk factors are described for cervical and prostate cancer?

Cervical cancer is primarily linked to human papillomavirus infection. Prostate cancer risks include ageing, genetics, race, geography, and family history, but these alone cannot explain Africa’s excess mortality.

How do microbial infections and healthcare deficiencies interact to worsen outcomes?

The review connects untreated microbial infections, especially sexually transmitted infections, to inflammation that can drive cancer pathogenesis and progression. It further links this to deficient health infrastructure, which makes access to care difficult and reduces infection control and prevention.

Sep 21, 2026

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