Submission ID 117080
| Issue/Objective | In 2018, the WHO established the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, a project advocating for a worldwide pediatric cancer (PC) survival rate above 60 percent by 2030. Unfortunately, many Sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda, are projected to fall short of this goal. For instance, despite providing free cancer care, Uganda has a PC mortality rate of 70 percent compared to 20 percent in North America. This review discusses the factors contributing to PC survival disparities in Uganda to suggest practical interventions that can improve health outcomes. |
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| Methodology/Approach | A 12-member team from Queen's Cancer Kids First searched databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for English-only articles published after 2014 discussing PC care in Uganda. Twenty-five sources were selected, including two non-scholarly articles from The Monitor, a trusted Ugandan newspaper, to provide national insight. |
| Results | Our review highlights the link between Uganda's high PC mortality rate and institutional, national, and patient-level barriers to timely cancer diagnosis and treatment. Institutional barriers include limited access to diagnostic facilities, medications, and oncologists. Additionally, national issues such as the geographic concentration of healthcare services in Kampala and the high cost of treatment further exacerbate disparities. Patient-level barriers, such as financial constraints, limited access to transportation, and cultural stigma surrounding cancer, also significantly reduce care access. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Interventions addressing institutional, national, and patient-level treatment barriers are crucial to improving PC survival outcomes in Uganda. Our key recommendations include using telemedicine to expand diagnostic infrastructure, offering travel and accommodation support for patients, and increasing awareness about pediatric cancer to reduce stigma. Additionally, we advocate for international partnerships to enhance the availability of essential medications and expand professional training to facilitate diagnosis. The implementation of cost-effective virtual telementoring partnerships, similar to Project ECHO's partnership between the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya and the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, may help empower rural hospitals and community healthcare workers to screen for childhood cancers, allowing for earlier intervention and improved survival. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Julia Apolot Queen's University Alisha Varty-Higgs Queen's University Ali Haider Queen's University Ore Maxwell Queen's University Dream Tuitt-Barnes Queen's University Munmeet Paur Queen's University Fatima Mohammed Queen's University Mujeedat Lekuti Queen's University Rinusha Piranthapan Queen's University Rida Siddiqui Queen's University Heeya Patel Queen's University |
