Côte d'Ivoire now has its first private establishment entirely dedicated to the treatment of cancer. The European Cancer Institute of Abidjan was inaugurated on Thursday June 25, 2026 in Bingerville by the First Lady, Dominique Ouattara. The result of private investment, the center is equipped to provide radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments according to protocols complying with international standards. Its announced capacity of 1,800 patients per year constitutes an additional response to the needs of a country faced with a continued increase in cancers. cancer and more than 13,000 deaths linked to this disease. Cancers of the breast, cervix, prostate and liver are among the most common. These figures reflect the growing weight of this pathology in the Ivorian health system, where diagnostic and treatment capacities still remain insufficient in relation to demand.

The opening of this new establishment takes place in a context where many patients are faced with waiting times or the need to carry out certain specialized examinations abroad. The European Cancer Institute intends to strengthen this offer thanks to a technical platform including a Halcyon linear accelerator intended for precision radiotherapy, a Siemens GO SIM simulation scanner and a secure unit for the preparation of anticancer drugs. The structure also brings together consultations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy on the same site to ensure coordinated monitoring of patients.

A private offer which completes the health system in Bingerville

The establishment of the center in Bingerville is part of a dynamic that has been underway for several years. The town already hosts the Dominique Ouattara Mother and Child Hospital, as well as the Life Center for children with cancer, opening in 2024. The European Cancer Institute completes this set of specialized infrastructures.

The project does not stop with this inauguration. On April 14, 2026, during an audience granted by the First Lady to the Director General of the Institute, Alexandre Roquette, the upcoming creation of a European Center for Nuclear Medicine was also announced. This must be equipped with a cyclotron and a PET Scan, two essential pieces of equipment for early diagnosis, therapeutic monitoring and detection of metastases. Their installation would limit the use of examinations carried out outside the country.

While this new capacity constitutes progress, it does not in itself resolve the difficulties in the fight against cancer. The issues linked to early detection, the financial accessibility of treatments, the training of specialists and the extension of services outside Abidjan remain unresolved. The opening of the European Cancer Institute nevertheless represents a concrete strengthening of the specialized care offer and an additional step in the structuring of oncological care in Côte d'Ivoire.