Malawi begins new chapter in fight against esophageal cancer

A new era has opened in Malawi’s cancer response with the country’s hosting, in April, of a high-level delegation of medical and advocacy experts aiming to combat one of its deadliest diseases: esophageal cancer (EC).

The groundbreaking public health initiative brought together distinguished personalities, including Malawi’s Ambassador to the United States, Judge Esme Chombo; Emeritus Professor at the Mayo Clinic and Chairman of the AfrECC Foundation Board, Dr David Fleischer, and humanitarian and CEO of Encase Consulting Group, Ike Ogbuebile, who joined forces with global medical device leader Boston Scientific (market capitalization: $156.88 billion) led by Art Butcher, Executive Vice President for Boston Scientific; Ms Camille Chang Gilmore, Global CDO; Carl Budge, Head of Global Outreach, the African Esophageal Cancer Consortium (AfrECC), and Malawi’s Ministry of Health.

Malawi holds the highest reported global age-standardized rate for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) incidence and mortality. Esophageal cancer is the third most common cancer in the country, posing a serious public health challenge due to late diagnoses and scarce treatment options.

The initiative saw the delegation travel to high-risk areas such as Salima and Nkhoma, where they conducted community outreach sessions to raise awareness of early symptoms—difficulty swallowing, unexplained weight loss, and chronic heartburn—and emphasized the importance of early medical evaluation. They deployed mobile screening units to local clinics, enabling on-site preliminary endoscopic exams and providing life-saving diagnostic services directly to underserved populations.