Miriam Mutebi: Assembling multidisciplinary stakeholders across Nairobi to a MCMC

Miriam Mutebi, Breast Surgical Oncologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital, posted on LinkedIn:

“Multidisciplinary approaches to care are essential to the management of all cancers. This is because of the complexity of different treatment modalities and the balance that is needed between the different specialities and the need to develop personalised care for our patients.

As the Nairobi Treatment Lead for the City Cancer Challenge, supported by our partners American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the National Cancer Institute of Kenya, we had the pleasure of assembling multidisciplinary stakeholders across Nairobi to a Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course (MCMC) to exchange knowledge of best practices and to discuss how to enhance quality care for our patients living with breast cancer in Nairobi, Kenya and the region.

Why breast cancer? Besides being the most common cancer in Africa, developing a systems approach to managing breast cancers well, will improve care delivery and management of all other cancers.

Key concepts around multidisciplinary approaches, where cancer care decisions are made by healthworker teams not by individuals, and the importance of embedding supportive/palliative early in all aspects, were essential take aways! Keeping the patient central in decision making is integral to successful approaches.

My own organisation Aga Khan University Hospital was able to participate and contribute faculty and as AORTIC- Africa we shared some continental perspectives.

Many thanks to both our international and local faculty Julie Gralow Anees Chagpar, Sitna Ali Mwanzi, Abeid M. Athman Omar, Rolando Camacho, Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, Mohamed Ezzi, Angela McLigeyo, Manel Haj Mansour among others, and to our City manager Beatrice Okumu for these engaging sessions.

Stay tuned for the next steps, which involve focused projects to improve the cancer care delivery and quality of care in our setting.”

Beatrice Okumu, City Manager-Nairobi at City Cancer Challenge, shared this post on LinkedIn, adding:

“We can’t thank you enough Miriam Mutebi for the pivotal role you played in organizing the local experts, engagements with external experts and moderating the Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Course (MCMC). Being the treatment lead City Cancer Challenge we are grateful for the continuous support and the expertise that you offer. You contributed immensely to the success of this Course alongside the external and local experts.

Special thanks to Kenyatta National Hospital Official Page, Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, for opening your doors for our external experts to experience your multidisciplinary Tumor Board meetings.”

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 the President of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), and past president for 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.