Ensuring equitable quality cancer care

In 2019, Sub-Saharan Africa will be home to several of the world’s fastest-growing economies: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Benin, Kenya, Uganda and Burkina Faso are in the top ten. This is good news, but it has led to unprecedented population growth in cities putting tremendous pressure on fragmented and limited health infrastructure.

In response, a growing number of African governments are making major strides in adopting and implementing public health policies to ensure equitable quality primary healthcare, to tackle the most pressing health challenges including cancer. In Ghana, the Ministry of Health launched its National Cancer Control Plan 2017-2021, aimed at reducing cancer mortality by 30% through primary prevention, effective screening and early detection, as well as improving diagnosis and treatment.

What we do at C/Can

At C/Can, we are working towards creating a world where cities deliver quality and equitable cancer care for all. To achieve this goal, we are supporting cities with the participation of a global community of public and private partners, along with civil society to design, plan, and implement cancer solutions to save lives. We are currently working with two cities in Africa: Kigali, Rwanda and Kumasi, Ghana.

Kumasi

Kumasi was officially announced as the first African C/Can Key Learning City on 14th November, 2017, followed by a launch and inaugural City Executive Committee meeting in Kumasi on 7th February 2018. Because our model is data-driven and evidence-based, C/Can led an extensive consultation process involving over 250 professionals from more than 30 institutions to assess the situation of cancer services in all related medical specialties (radiology, pathology, medical and paediatric oncology, surgery, radiotherapy and palliative care) from their respective institutions. Findings were consolidated to build a fuller picture of the situation in Kumasi as of May 2018, in order to have all city stakeholders agree on one comprehensive cancer care development plan. Currently, eight projects are prioritised for implementation at the Kumasi city-level.

As part of our activities in Kumasi, as in other cities where C/Can operates, we are committed to supporting Metropolitan Kumasi and the government of Ghana’s approach in embedding the delivery of quality and equitable care for all throughout the different levels of the health system by bringing together the public and private sectors.