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February 01, 2009: ARA Champions the fight against Cancer in Cameroon
ARA has signed an agreement with the Cameroon National Cancer Control
program to sensitize/educate Cameroonians on Cancer and Cancer
prevention, and provide Palliative care to Cancer patients in Cameroon.
In the next 5 months, ARA will be organizing 100 information, education,
communication (IEC) sessions in the Donga Mantung Division of
Cameroon on Palliative care of Cancer patients. There will be extensive
media communications including community radio programs and
information and education of 100 njangi houses (village Financial saving
groups), churches, schools, youth groups and hospitals.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a cancer epidemic is
brewing in Africa. There is no cancer treatment available in many regions for
the 650,000 documented Africans who develop cancer annually, resulting in
about 510,000 deaths —almost 80% of all cancer cases in Africa. By 2020
Africa will account for more than one million new cancer cases a year, and
they are the least able of all developing countries to cope, having few cancer
care services.1 Lack of resources and basic infrastructure means that most
Africans have no access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment or
palliative care.2 In fact according to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy
Agency) millions of cancer victims in developing countries lack access to life-
saving radiotherapy and other forms of treatment, with at least $2.5 billion
needed to provide adequate treatment facilities, half to purchase machines,
and half to train the physicians and physicists required to ensure safe and
effective treatment. Life-saving radiotherapy is available in only 21 of Africa’s
53 countries, or to less than 20% of the population, and consequently cancer
is often a sentence to a painful and distressing death. Also, basic,
epidemiologic and interventional research are relevant to caring for cancer
patients, and each can, at least in principle, be carried out in Africa. Yet
research capacity, mentorship and resources are lacking. Even more
disheartening is that over one third of cancer deaths are due to preventable
causes such as viral infection, poor nutrition and widespread tobacco use.
Breast Cancer and Uterine Cancer are the most prevalent in Cameroonin
women(about 33% and 24 %, respectively). In men, prostate cancer and
liver cancer dominate.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines palliative care as a holistic
approach to improve the quality of life of patients with incurable disease and
their families, through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early
identification and careful assessment and treatment of pain and other
problems, physical, psychological and spiritual. Palliative care should be an
integral part of the comprehensive care and support of patients. It should be
provided in the framework of a continuum of care from the time the incurable
disease is diagnosed until the end of life. In order to ensure adequate
population coverage, it is important that it be provided in health institutions
as well as in homes and community –based organisations.
ARA is actively working with the Cameroon Cancer program in vital outreach
as the first step towards greater active involvement of ARA's Science and
Technology Division to promote healthier African societies with the support
of the African Diaspora and goodwill non-Africans. As the saying goes,
Health is wealth. ARA is also carrying out or supporting projects in other
areas: Malaria, Epilepsy, and psychosocial care and Telemedicine.
Cameroon has only two Cancer treatment centers. University of Yaounde I,
Cameroon is the leading university in Cameroon and harbors one of the 2
Cancer treatment centers. For a population of over 16 million, one medical
physicist, 10 pathologists and 3 cytotechnicians. Cancer surveillance is not
well organized in Cameroon. Most cancer related deaths are neither
reported nor recorded. The majority of cancer patients go for consultation
only at an advanced stage of the disease. Ignorance, local beliefs and
poverty influence the behavior of patients. Traditional healers, medical and
paramedical staff who, for financial or other reasons, insist on treating
cancer patients even though they lack the required expertise, thus delay
referral to the limited facilities. The limited number of personnel trained in
oncology is further compounded by the lack of enthusiasm on the part of
young medical officers and nursing staff for oncology. These limiting factors
confirm the urgency of getting assistance for the cancer control program in
Cameroon by empowering the university of Yaounde I. The political will to
reverse the current trend of affairs is in no doubt. This political commitment
is evidenced by the provision for cancer control in the National Health
Development Program, its inclusion in the Health Sector Strategy, the re-
organization of the National Cancer Control Committee (NCCC) as well as
the appointment of its officials.
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