- Memorandum of Understanding signed by the authorities of the Ministry of Health and the City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can), in the presence of a Member of the Swiss Federal Council and local stakeholders in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
1st July 2025, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire – An important step forward has been made in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire as the Ministry of Health has come together with the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. The signing took place in the presence of Swiss Federal Councillor Ms. Baume-Schneider and members of Abidjan’s civil society. This agreement reflects a shared commitment to advancing equitable, accessible, and high-quality cancer care in the city.
In 2022, there were 2,884 new cases of cancer in Abidjan and 2,743 cancer related deaths. Through its application to become one of C/Can’s network cities, Abidjan stood out through strong political commitment, active mobilisation of local stakeholders, including civil society, and a clear recognition of the urgency to improve cancer care services. As a major economic center in West Africa, Abidjan is ideally positioned to become a regional leader in oncology innovation and in strengthening healthcare systems. Abidjan, is the first French speaking city in Africa to join the C/Can city network.
This partnership marks a turning point in our approach to cancer control in our country. By working with C/Can and involving our local experts and communities, we are committed to implementing sustainable, data-driven improvements so that no one is left behind in their cancer journey.
Sir Pierre N’gou, Minister of Health of Côte d’Ivoire.
C/Can, works hand-in-hand with cities to drive transformational change in cancer care, strengthening healthcare ecosystems and powering systemic solutions from the ground up. Its locally-led approach brings together key stakeholders to uncover the gaps, design strategic solutions, and implement lasting improvements—solutions that are not only making an impact today but are also being scaled nationally and globally. So far, C/Can has worked in 15 cities across low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) supporting over 5,000 healthcare workers and reaching 67.5 million people with improved care. Through collaboration with multi-stakeholders, technical expertise and operational support, C/Can is looking forward to co-create with Abidjan effective, tailored and scalable solutions to drive sustainable cancer care. City Cancer Challenge is pleased to onboard Abidjan as its sixteenth city to change the future of healthcare together.
We are thrilled to welcome Abidjan into the C/Can network. This partnership allows us to build on the strong foundations already in place and open new avenues of collaboration to accelerate progress. Together we will build sustainable solutions designed to contribute to lasting improvements in cancer care, not only in Abidjan but also as part of a broader effort to inform and strengthen systems in other cities.
Isabel Mestress, C/Can CEO.
The C/Can City Engagement Process will be led by a local governance body known as the City Executive Committee. With the support of a dedicated city manager, they will lead on the identification of needs and the implementation of locally-led cancer care solutions.
It is an honor for me to attend Abidjan’s inclusion in the City Cancer Challenge network, which I thank for its collaborative activities at the local level as well as for strengthening access to quality and equitable care.
Élisabeth Baume-Schneider, Swiss Federal Councillor.
C/Can works with four other cities in the region: Abuja (Nigeria), Kigali (Rwanda), Kumasi (Ghana) and Nairobi (Kenya). Abidjan is part of the “Take your City Further” call for city applications that took place in 2023. C/Can in Abidjan will also be supported by the Coalition of Cancer Control Organisations in Côte d’Ivoire (COLCC-CI) , a key stakeholder in advancing Abidjan and C/Can’s work in delivering accessible, quality cancer care from the ground up.
Civil society plays a vital role in building an inclusive, responsive, and accountable health system. We are proud to take part in this transformative initiative and are determined to ensure that the voices of communities—especially those most affected by cancer—are heard and integrated at every stage of the process.
Madame Fatou Fadika Coulibaly, Coalition of Cancer Control Organizations (COLCC) in Côte d’Ivoire.
City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) works with the support of partners across multiple sectors to advance equitable access to quality cancer care. We sincerely thank all our partners—and in particular Roche—for their invaluable contribution in helping bring together key stakeholders and fostering momentum for the city engagement process in Abidjan.
