This article reviews literature on cancer statistics in sub-Saharan Africa, and assesses the need for population-based cancer registries to enhance cancer care and prevention within the region. The article finds that there are few cancer registries in sub-Saharan Africa and most of these are hospital based. This is partly because in many countries cancer is a low priority as more emphasis is placed on the control of communicable diseases and improving environmental sanitation.
Equitable health services
Cancer care in sub-Saharan Africa – urgent need for population-based cancer registries
Okobia MN: Ethiopian Journal of Health Development, 2007
Challenges Facing Community Home Based Care Programmes in Botswana
Odek AW, Oloo JA: East African Social Science Research Review 23 (2): 1-18, 2007
This study examines the role of Community Home-Based Care in Botswana for people with HIV/AIDS and those with other terminal illnesses. Kerkhoven and Jackson (1995) attribute the popularity of Community Home-Based Care (CHBC) programmes in the developing countries to high rates of HIV/AIDS. Botswana has adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate of 37 per cent and over 350,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. Rapid rise in incidences of HIV/AIDS has hence resulted in increasing need for CHBC and thus many CHBC services have been established through disorganized and fragmented manners. This paper is an extended literature review. It identifies and discusses challenges facing CHBC programmes in Botswana. The findings indicate that poverty, high cost of community care, inadequate medical facilities, poor infrastructures and socio-cultural issues have threatened the sustainability of CHBC programmes in Botswana. Recommendations and policy options are discussed.
Controlling cancer in developing countries: prevention and treatment strategies merit further study
Disease Control Priorities Project, 2007
This paper discusses the burden of cancer in developing countries and examines which types of cancers can be prevented and treated affordably in low-resource settings and which interventions can be used to control them. The paper concludes that to guide policymakers on the most effective cancer control strategies in developing countries, more work is needed in: clinical evaluations of cancer control interventions, health services research, and country specific economic evaluations. It recommends that since current knowledge about cancer control is incomplete, developing countries should start in small areas and gain knowledge from well-documented pilot programmes. Starting small might entail focusing on individuals with certain high-risk characteristics or in a limited geographic area, and scaling up should occur only after pilot programmes have been shown to perform well.
HIV-TB co-infection: meeting the challenge
Forum for Collaborative HIV Research
Ten per cent of individuals infected with TB develop the active disease but this is greatly increased in those whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV. This report highlights the difficulty in managing the co-epidemic of HIV and TB and identifies priority areas in need of further research: better population-based data on the incidence of drug-resistant TB is required, increased laboratory capacity is needed to make the currently difficult diagnosis of co-infection of HIV-TB accessible to a larger proportion of Africans, more child-specific research is needed especially on paediatric drug formulations. The low uptake of drugs that treat co-infection remains a real problem, with concerns over drug efficacy and the creation of drug resistant strains of TB cited as the main reasons. The report concludes that strategies for dealing with TB and HIV currently exist in isolation, often reinforced by vertical programme financing. Efforts must be made to integrate these disease treatment programmes which will involve stakeholders working together within an evidence based collaborative framework.
Is malaria eradication possible?
The Lancet Editorial 370 (9597): 1459, 27 October 2007
Malaria remains a leading global health problem that requires the improved use of existing interventions and the accelerated development of new control methods. In this editorial we reflect on the possibility of eradicating malaria in infants in Africa with the introduction of the malaria vaccine RTS,S/AS02D.
London Declaration on Cancer Control in Africa
Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy, 2007
The purpose of this declaration is to raise awareness of the magnitude of the cancer burden in Africa and to call for immediate action to bring comprehensive care to African countries. The establishment of cancer care programmes in African countries requires the integration of clinical and public health systems. A comprehensive cancer control strategy must bring together prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. More investment is needed to deliver these services in terms of trained staff, equipment, relevant drugs and information systems, as well as public education.
Malawi Essential Health Package
Government of Malawi, 2002
This report presents a draft of the proposed Essential Heath Package (EHP) and its costing for Malawi. It is intended to stimulate comment and debate, and to move the process to a final stage whereby the contents can be incorporated into a broader implementation plan for the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) and partners. By MOHP, we mean the various departments at headquarters, the technical programmes, and the districts who will ultimately deliver the EHP services.
National Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of malaria for health workers in Kenya
Government of Kenya, Ministry of Health, January 2006
Based on this scientific information and WHO recommendations of changing to combination therapy, the Ministry of Health has adopted the use of Artemesinin based Combination Therapy (ACT) as 1st line treatment of uncomplicated malaria. There is therefore need to implement a new antimalarial treatment policy using ACTs. The Ministry of Health has developed these guidelines for malaria diagnosis, treatment and prevention with an aim of improving malaria case management by health workers and having a harmonized approach in efforts aimed at the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to malaria.
Primary school children's perspectives on common diseases and medicines used: implications for school healthcare programmes and priority setting in Uganda
Akello G, Reis R, Ovuga E, Rwabukwali CB, Kabonesa C, Richters A: African Health Sciences 7 (2): 73-79, 2007
Existing school health programmes in Uganda target children above five years for de-worming, oral hygiene and frequent vaccination of girls of reproductive age. This study assessed primary school children's perspectives on common diseases they experience and medicines used in order to suggest reforms for school healthcare programmes and priority setting. Children named and ranked malaria as the most severe and frequently experienced disease. Other diseases mentioned included diarrhoea, skin fungal infections, flu, and typhoid.The symptoms children recognised in case of illness were high body temperature, vomiting, headache, weakness, appetite loss and diarrhoea. Children were either given medicines by the school nurse or they selfmedicated using pharmaceuticals including chloroquine, panadol, flagyl, fansidar, quinine injections, capsules (amoxicillin and ampicillin) obtained from the clinics, drug shops, pharmacies,and other unspecified indigenous medicines from their home and markets.
South Africa: The National Infection Prevention and Control Policy & Strategy
Department of Health, 2007
In the quest to improve the safety of health services and thus align ourselves in part with the international challenges set by the World Health Organisation Global Patient Safety drive, a National Infection Prevention Strategy and Control Policy and accompanying strategy have been developed and presented to all health care personnel in the country.