Kuwait’s health minister says early detection and comprehensive care are central to the country’s fight against breast cancer, as the Kuwait Breast Cancer Conference 2025 opened Friday. Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi said the ministry’s approach aims to align with “the latest global medical advancements,” describing the conference as a scientific and humanitarian platform that puts “the individual and their wellbeing at the top of priorities.”

Citing World Health Organization data, Al-Awadhi said more than 2.3 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, and that number is expected to rise by nearly 38 percent by 2050, according to The Lancet. “These figures push us to strengthen early detection efforts, which significantly raise survival chances,” he said. “The five-year survival rate exceeds 99 percent when the disease is discovered in its early stages, according to the American Cancer Society.”