Susie Stanway: Cancer care in humanitarian settings: a focus on Africa
Susie Stanway, Co-Founder of UK Global Cancer Network, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Thank you Global Health Catalysts for giving us the platform to host this session ‘Cancer care in humanitarian settings: a focus on Africa’. Thank you to all the experts who spoke and contributed. We live in exceptionally challenging times; the world is rapidly changing and existential threats are escalating..
We heard from Vel Gnanendran CMG ‘Fragility and conflict are on the rise, adversely affecting development and poverty reduction. There are record numbers of forcibly displaced people (over 100M, three quarters of whom are women and children); the numbers of people requiring humanitarian assistance has more than doubled since 2018 to 400 million people. The humanitarian financing gap is now 5 times bigger than it was in 2013.’
Nazik Hammad highlighted the 16 countries in conflict in Africa, the internal and external factors that prevent cancer care in these settings being in the spotlight. She raised the current crisis in the Sahel along with the work she’s leading with others with AORTIC- Africa in this area and lessons learned from Sudan around cancer care resilience. ‘The global oncology community should shift from a passive reactive position to that of a ‘cancer conflict preparedness”
Omar Abdihamid, spoke about neglected cancer care needs of the nomadic communities; “It’s estimated that there are 50 million nomadic pastoralists in SSA with little data on healthcare access and utilitzation including cancer care”
Groesbeck Parham presented work on building womens’ cancer care services in fragile, conflict and violence-affected countries, where the majority of the world’s poorest women live, such as DRC. ‘Traditionally, the healthcare focus has been on immediate relief efforts, infectious diseases and malnutrition… but cancer incidence is rising’. Efforts to drive improvement such as South-South professional exchange programmes were shared
Dr Oumou Kimso updated the audience on delivery of cancer care in Nigeria and highlighted the challenge in accessing care if you are one of the close to 690 000 IDPs, refugees or asylum seekers there
Gevorg Tamamyan spoke about the War and Cancer Summit 2023 and manifesto; ‘one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to cancer care in regions affected by conflict and ongoing research and advocacy is necessary’. Summary soon to be published.
The session highlighted the intersectionality between so many elements affecting sustainable development such as climate injustice, food and water security, gender equality, fragility and conflict, all of which affect how cancer care can be delivered, and how local, national, regional and global leadership are urgently needed. ”
Source: Susie Stanway/LinkedIn
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