MPOWER

Yemanja Cancer Care Initiative, Inc

MPOWER

Integrate mammography and AI to enhance breast cancer risk prediction, optimize resources, and improve health outcomes for Nigerian women.

Rhode Island, USA

USA

Nonprofit

The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has steadily increased, reaching approximately 2.3 million cases in 2020, making it the most common cancer globally. A yearly rise of 2-4% is projected, particularly among women in sub-Saharan Africa, where increasing urbanization and western dietary habits are contributing to higher incidences. While there has been progress in reducing breast cancer mortality worldwide, this success is not evenly distributed. Nigeria and other West African nations report the highest mortality rates, with 70-90% of patients presenting at advanced stages (III or IV), leading to up to 70% mortality at five years. In contrast, early-stage disease (stage I) has over a 95% survival rate during the same period. Between 1990 and 2019, breast cancer mortality in Nigeria surged by 224%, primarily due to a lack of early detection programs and late-stage diagnoses. In comparison, the U.S. saw a 58% decrease in mortality during this time. This disparity highlights the urgent need for improved early detection and treatment strategies in Nigeria to address the growing breast cancer mortality in these women effectively.

We aim to establish a sustainable, evidence-based, cost-effective nationwide breast cancer screening program in Nigeria. Our objective is to create a database of digital screening mammograms from Nigerian women participating in an ethics board-approved study. This database will help train a predictive model that assesses breast cancer risk from a single mammogram, optimizing limited resources and transforming healthcare in resource-poor settings. The program has shown that providing free mobile mammography services directly to communities effectively engages women and collects essential data. Women with suspicious findings receive follow-up care and prompt treatment referrals. Our goal is to replicate this successful model across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, providing baseline and biannual mammograms to around 70,000 women to generate data for a locally relevant breast cancer risk prediction model. This expansion aims to serve women nationwide, enable early-stage cancer detection and treatment, and lay the groundwork for a comprehensive public health mammography program. The program will emphasize broad participation, high-quality imaging, timely diagnostic evaluations, strong community engagement, and consistent monitoring to ensure success.

Our vision is centered on making mammography both accessible and affordable for all Nigerian women, with a focus on embracing the country's vast ethnic, religious, and economic diversity. We are committed to overcoming barriers to mammography access by bringing services directly to communities, particularly in underserved areas. Through strong cultural engagement and a focus on inclusivity, the program is poised to expand across Nigeria, benefiting women from all ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. We are focused on: 1. Addressing Financial and Physical Barriers: o Many Nigerian women face financial challenges in accessing mammography due to travel costs to fee-for-service centers. Our mobile service directly tackles these barriers by bringing screening to local communities. o The mobile mammography unit is also designed to accommodate women with disabilities, ensuring inclusivity. 2. Cultural and Faith-Based Engagement: building community awareness by working with diverse faith and cultural groups, ensuring the project resonates with local populations across Nigeria. 3. Inclusive Expansion Across Nigeria: to all six geopolitical regions of Nigeria, ensuring that women from all walks of life have access to breast cancer screening.