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As part of the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (GICR) of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a new IARC GICR Centre of Expertise for Cancer Registration for Lusophone African Countries (CEROPAL) was inaugurated at the Instituto Angolano de Controlo do Câncer (IACC) in Luanda, Angola, on 20 January 2026, in the presence of the Secretary of State for Hospital Services. CEROPAL becomes the fourth IARC GICR Centre of Expertise in sub-Saharan Africa, and the first dedicated specifically to Portuguese-speaking countries, providing capacity-building for Angola, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and Sao Tome and Principe.
IARC has worked with population-based cancer registries (PBCRs) worldwide for more than half a century, establishing international standards for cancer data collection and reporting and ensuring the sustainable expansion of PBCRs in transitioning regions. IARC’s global estimates (GLOBOCAN) are central to understanding the worldwide cancer burden, and IARC has always emphasized that effective action begins with high-quality local data. Without strong cancer surveillance systems, cancer policies cannot be adequately planned, monitored, or evaluated.
Recognizing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases, including cancer, in countries undergoing rapid social and economic transition, IARC launched the GICR in 2012. The GICR was created to support countries in building sustainable cancer registries, with a strong focus on regional leadership, capacity-building, and long-term partnerships. CEROPAL was developed in close collaboration with the GICR Regional Hub for Sub-Saharan Africa and the African Cancer Registry Network (AFCRN), as well as Vital Strategies (supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies), ministries of health, national registry teams, and the Instituto Português de Oncologia do Porto (IPO-Porto), Portugal. CEROPAL serves as a Centre of Expertise for training, technical assistance, and peer-to-peer exchange across the five Portuguese-speaking African countries.
