This study explored the beliefs and practices of 69 breast cancer patients seeking care at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Addis Ababa, aiming to understand why so many women in Ethiopia present for treatment too late, or not at all, resulting in high mortality rates. Researchers found that low awareness, cultural beliefs about the disease’s causes, and social stigma all play a role in delaying diagnosis and treatment.
Publication
A Mixed-Method Assessment of Beliefs and Practice Around Breast Cancer in Ethiopia: Implications for Public Health Programming and Cancer Control
Dye TD, Bogale S, Hobden C, Tilahun Y, Hechter V, Deressa T, Bizé M, & Reeler A
Global Public Health
Published
Key Takeaways
This study explored the beliefs and practices of 69 breast cancer patients seeking care at Tikur Anbessa Hospital in Addis Ababa, aiming to understand why so many women in Ethiopia present for treatment too late, or not at all, resulting in high mortality rates. Researchers found that low awareness, cultural beliefs about the disease’s causes, and social stigma all play a role in delaying diagnosis and treatment.
- General awareness of breast cancer is low in Ethiopia, and even among those who have heard of the disease, feelings of hopelessness and fatalism are common
- Early signs are frequently ignored, and many patients turn to traditional healers before seeking hospital-based care
- Cultural beliefs often attribute breast cancer to bodily imbalances or complications from breastfeeding, rather than recognizing it as a treatable medical condition
- Stigma and social isolation surrounding breast cancer make it harder for women to discuss symptoms or take action, suggesting that public health efforts should work with existing beliefs, not around them, to raise awareness and encourage earlier care-seeking
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