Over 24,000 new cases of cancers are recorded annually in Ghana with more than half of patients losing their lives, mostly victims of breast, liver, cervix and prostate cancers.
The City Cancer Challenge initiative in partnering with public and private facilities to improve cancer care and treatment in Kumasi.
13 projects, including equipping laboratories, training professionals, and standardizing cancer treatment facilities have been completed across the metropolis to heighten the fight against Cancer.
The Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) reported that over 15,000 people lose their lives, most of them victims of breast, liver, cervix and prostate cancers annually.
Kumasi, Ghana’s second-largest city, is making great strides in improving its cancer care and streamlining the patient journey from a point of diagnosis to treatment.
The City Cancer Challenge initiative (C/Can), implemented in 2018, mobilized a multisectoral group of local stakeholders to collaboratively assess, design and implement cancer care solutions that are tailored to the context of the Kumasi health system.
The intervention created a referral network of 24 institutions, training over 120 health professionals on symptom awareness and designing a tailor-made app based on the previous paper’s referral system.
The intervention has increased the chances of survival for childhood cancer patients by bringing timely referrals for suspected cases from 1% to 25%.
City Manager for City Cancer Challenge Foundation, Abubakari Jalui, indicated 13 interventions have been implemented across Kumasi health facilities, including retrofitting of rooms and hot labs for Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
He says the interventions assist stakeholders and healthcare professionals to enhance the treatment of cancer and help sustainable cancer care solutions.
“13 projects were completed, and these projects were medical, pediatric oncology projects, surgery projects, pathology projects, quality of care projects and cancer registry. We had interventions at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital retrofitting of some rooms, and hot lab, just for them to be able to operationalize.
“Interventions include training programs for stakeholders and healthcare professionals to go to Mayo Clinic all to enhance treatment of cancer and help sustainable cancer care solutions,” he said.
A workshop was organized to highlight the successes of the initiative and deliberate on shortcomings for future implementations.
A City Executive Committee has led the process for four years with C/Can’s support, which includes the Ministry of Health for Ghana, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, the Manhyia Traditional Authority, the Ashanti Regional Minister, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Kumasi, hospital CEOs from the private and public sector and representatives from cancer patient survivor groups.
Healthcare professionals, academia, and civil society gathered to evaluate the city’s progress in cancer through the City Cancer Challenge initiative, which has also generated care improvements at a regional and national level.
Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Samuel Pyne, who chairs the C/Can Kumasi initiative, says the initiative has come in time to curtail cancer care shortcomings in health centres.
“The intervention came at a time when we needed solutions to the prevailing cancer effects on all levels of people in Ghana, especially with child cancer. Our collaboration has been very beneficial. And are here to celebrate the achievements of the City Cancer Challenge engagement process in Kumasi,” he said.
Director of Africa and Europe City Cancer Challenge, Sophie Bussmann-kemdjo disclosed that the preliminary assessment of the role of the challenges in the fight against cancer is readying the implementation of phase two.
“we helped the city to go through a city-wide need assessment to identify what were the needs in terms of cancer care and cancer management and allowed us to have a set of challenges that were to be prioritized. Local professional health care that just needs extra eyes from the outside. We are grateful for the level of collaboration and commitment from local stakeholders,” he said
