Cancer in Mauritania is no longer a marginal health issue. Over the past five years, it has evolved into a growing national challenge where medical, economic and social factors intersect. According to the latest 2022 estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization, Mauritania recorded approximately 3,274 new cancer cases in a single year, while deaths exceeded 2,234. These figures mark a clear increase compared to 2018, when cases were estimated at around 2,733 and deaths at approximately 1,933. Between the two years, incidence and mortality rates rose by nearly a quarter, reflecting a worrying upward trend.
This increase is not merely statistical growth; it represents mounting pressure on a health system with limited resources. Mauritania still lacks a comprehensive national cancer registry covering all regions with precision, and available estimates rely on international models based on partial data from health facilities. Patterns of late diagnosis, particularly in interior regions, contribute to higher mortality and reduced survival rates, which the Ministry of Health estimates range between 40 and 60 percent depending on the stage of detection and the type of treatment available.
Data from 2022 show that women represent the largest share of cases, with about 2,008 cases recorded among women compared to 1,266 among men. This is largely due to the prevalence of breast and cervical cancers, both of which can be significantly mitigated through early detection and regular screening. Among men, prostate and liver cancers lead, in addition to colorectal cancer. The number of people living with cancer within the past five years is estimated at approximately 6,871, reflecting an ongoing burden on families and the health system alike.
Within this rising context, Mohamed Yesslem Abdallah did not view the figures from a distant observer’s standpoint but through personal experience. The loss of his sister to cancer, despite transferring her to advanced hospitals abroad and spending all he could afford, marked a profound turning point in his life. He realized that financial means alone are insufficient when local care systems falter or diagnosis is delayed, and that suffering intensifies when illness intersects with financial hardship.
His decision to establish the Ithar Association in September 2021 was not an emotional reaction, but came at a time when the epidemiological curve was climbing, needs were accumulating and organized support remained limited. While many launch charitable initiatives, what distinguished his experience was the complete reordering of his priorities. He gradually withdrew from political and business engagements and devoted his time and energy to building a sustainable support structure for cancer patients within the country.
The initiative began with a field presence inside the National Oncology Center in Nouakchott, the main cancer treatment institution in Mauritania. The goal was not only to distribute financial aid but to create an integrated support system that includes covering part of treatment costs, organizing appointments, providing transportation for patients arriving from interior regions and offering social support. Within a few years, the association moved from a field tent to a permanent office inside the center, then to a charitable clinic project equipped with modern imaging and laboratory devices nearing operation, in addition to a 106-bed charitable hospital project under development.
Membership expanded to more than 43,000 affiliates, reflecting growing public trust. Yet the most significant impact lies not in numbers but in the shift from seasonal charity to long-term planning. With rising cases, investment in early detection becomes urgent, particularly for breast and cervical cancers, where timely intervention can alter the course of the disease entirely. This led to mobile early screening initiatives, alongside support for specialized medical equipment such as CT scanners and laboratories, helping reduce waiting times and accelerate diagnosis.
What distinguishes this experience is not only the scale of resources mobilized but the founder’s decision to make this issue the axis of his life. Between 2018 and 2022, with each annual increase in cases, it became evident that cancer was turning into a growing national burden and that response could not remain dependent solely on government capacity. In the absence of a comprehensive national registry and amid funding and equipment challenges, civil society intervention becomes an essential complementary component in the fight.
Mohamed Yesslem Abdallah moved from managing business to managing pain; from profit and loss calculations to treatment dosages, diagnostic machines and patient appointments. This was not a symbolic transition but a full redefinition of his social role. In a country where cases increase year after year and many patients face costs beyond their means, this personal shift becomes more than charity; it becomes an ethical stance.
One man cannot reverse the cancer curve of an entire nation, but he can transform the experience of thousands of patients within that curve. Between rising numbers and limited resources, the real difference lies in who chooses to assume responsibility, not as a slogan but as a long-term daily commitment.
In Mauritania today, where cases continue to rise gradually and the battle for early detection and effective treatment remains ongoing, Mohamed Yesslem Abdallah’s experience stands as an example of how personal loss can become a public mission, and how pain can drive the construction of a sustainable support system. It is not merely the story of an association, but of a man who reordered his life entirely to stand on the front line of an ongoing battle one fought not with slogans, but with commitment, patience and daily work.
