São Vicente opens cancer treatment centre
The new oncology unit at Hospital Baptista de Sousa aims to reduce patient travel to Santiago island.
São Vicente officially opened its oncology centre at Hospital Baptista de Sousa on Friday, October 30, 2026. This new facility aims to bring chemotherapy treatments closer to patients in the Barlavento region, reducing the need for inter-island travel for cancer care.
The centre, part of the ONCO-CV project, will initially treat approximately three breast cancer patients. In 2025, 64 cancer patients from Barlavento were evacuated to the Hospital Universitário Agostinho Neto on Santiago island for treatment.
The oncology unit is equipped with specialized equipment for preparing and administering chemotherapy. The project partnered with Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and received technical collaboration from the Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto.
Why it mattersCancer patients in the Barlavento region of São Vicente will receive chemotherapy closer to home, reducing travel burdens.