SDPU Hosts a Trilateral Meeting with Experts in West Africa to Improve Access to Cancer Care
On February 29 – March 1, 2024, the Sustained Dialogue on Peaceful Uses (SDPU) initiative, facilitated by CRDF Global and the Government of Nigeria, hosted the Trilateral Meeting on Improving Access to Cancer Care for Rural Populations in West Africa. Building on discussions from the 2023 SDPU workshop series on “Expanding Access to Radiation Medicine in West Africa” in Ghana, this follow-on meeting in Abuja, Nigeria discussed challenges and proposed solutions to improve access cancer care for rural populations in West Africa.
The meeting brought together experts from Cameroon, Ghana, and Nigeria, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana, Nigerian National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria NGOs’ representatives, General Hospital of Douala, General Hospital of Yaoundé, Cameroon Oncology Center, ministries of health, atomic energy commissions, and other global stakeholders such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and City Cancer Challenge.
The meeting focused on challenges to cancer care access, ongoing global initiatives to address challenges to access, and ended with discussions on potential solutions targeting three key areas, including: patient education/public awareness, provider education/HR mobilization, and technology. Experts identified potential areas of work to expand access to cancer care for rural populations, including improving provider and public education collaboration with faith-based organizations, community leaders, and traditional healers and enabling remote follow-ups with patients by utilizing Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD).
CRDF Global sincerely appreciates the panelists and participants of this meeting for their thoughtful contributions to the discussions on improving the use of radiation medicine for cancer treatment and increasing access for rural populations in pursuit of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This meeting and the SDPU are jointly funded by the U.S. Department of State and UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. For more information about this meeting and the SDPU, go to www.sustaineddialogue.com.
