Miriam Mutebi: Nurses are the bedrock of health and cancer care across Africa

Miriam Mutebi posted on LinkedIn:

“Following up on a previous post on the importance of leadership in cancer care, I’m turning the spotlight on the essential role of nurses, who truly are the bedrock of health and cancer care across Africa.

According to a Gallup survey (Newport, 2012), nurses are the most trusted members of the healthcare team playing a critical role in patient care and public health, especially in the fight against cancer. However, our recent work with the Lancet Commission on Women, Power and Cancer shows they are still often underrepresented and underappreciated.

Oncology nurses, in particular, face daily challenges in managing the myriad symptoms experienced by cancer patients and their families.

Today, I want to highlight three phenomenal leaders in cancer care:

Manjuh Florence (in a nurse attire), our Secretary-Elect at AORTIC and current ACLI cohort member, a state-registered nurse running Cameroon’s largest breast and cervical cancer screening program;

Beatrice Ohaeri, an Associate Professor at the University of Ibadan and our Vice President of Nursing; and Ngalla Calvin, an oncology nurse with a specialisation in Palliative Care and Vice President for the Central African region, who is helping to lead the Women’s health initiatives in Cameroon (I’ll speak more on our VPs in a different post).

Florence and Beatrice are actively involved in training and mentoring nurses across Sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring they are equipped with the clinical skills necessary for cancer care, and the leadership capabilities to influence policy and improve care standards at all levels.

Their work has been instrumental in elevating the voices of nurses in cancer control strategies and programs, helping to reduce the cancer burden across the continent.

Dr. Ohaeri, with a PhD in Adult Health Nursing, is an alumnus of the African Cancer Leaders Initiative (ACLI). Her research focuses on psycho-oncology, women’s health, and nursing education, with a special interest in improving the quality of life for cancer patients, especially women with breast and cervical cancers.

Florence and Calvin have been critical in developing programs that enhance screening and increase the uptake of HPV vaccination.

Recognizing the need for strong leadership among nurses, AORTIC, in collaboration with the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care Inc. (ISNCC) has launched a Leadership Programme to empower African nurses to take on leadership roles in cancer treatment and control.

To that end and under Beatrice’s leadership, the AORTIC/ISNCC Programme for 2024 has now received its first cohort.

I encourage all eligible nurses to consider joining the next cohort.”

Additional information.
Source: Miriam Mutebi/LinkedIn

Miriam Mutebi is a Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She is also the Vice-President of East Africa of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), treasurer for the Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (KESHO) and on the Board of Directors of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

She is the co-founder of the Pan African Women’s Association of Surgeons and is part of the Kenya Association of Women Surgeons. She is an avid supporter for the education and support for women, especially in surgery and she aims to provide mentorship for women in surgery and to improve women’s health and surgical care in Africa. She is currently pursuing a pilot’s license in order to extend breast care services to marginalized areas.