Ugandan cancer medics to get free training

Uganda is among the nine African countries whose medics will benefit from an oncology fellowship programme courtesy of the Merck Foundation.

In partnership with Ministries of Health across Africa, the Merck Africa Oncology Fellowship Program provides one-year and two-year oncology fellowship programs and a three year Masters degree in medical oncology at Tata Memorial Centre in India, University of Nairobi in Kenya, and Alexandria University in Egypt respectively.

During the training, 20 future oncologists will be supported to undergo the one and two-year Oncology Fellowship Program, which started in 2016 and will go on through 2017.

The programme is aimed at increasing the limited number of oncologists in Africa, a statement from the Merck Foundation read in part. Established in 1957, the Merck Foundation is a US-based philanthropic organization that aims at improving the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology.

Dr. Rasha Kelej, the chief executive officer of Merck Foundation emphasized; "One of the main objectives of Merck Foundation is to build a strong platform of qualified medical, paediatric and surgical oncologists across the continent through the Merck Africa Oncology Fellowship Program."

"Twenty candidates from Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Namibia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Tanzania and Kenya have enrolled in the Merck Africa Oncology Fellowship Program in partnership with African ministries of health, the University of Nairobi, Kenya, Tata Memorial Centre, India and Alexandria University, Egypt in 2016 and 2017. We are very proud of our contribution to lead Africa to a better future through changing the landscape of cancer care in the continent", Kelej added.

Prof. Frank Stangenberg- Haverkamp, the chairman of the Executive Board and chairman of Board of Trustees of Merck Foundation explained; "Improving cancer care needs a substantial improvement in infrastructure and increase in the number of specialized workforce, which does not exist in many, if not most, Sub-Saharan African countries. Enrolling more candidates from more African countries into our Fellowship Programme, is an important step forward towards improving access to cancer care across the continent".

In June 2017, BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH), and the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), released a white paper on the African continent's emerging cancer crisis.

It said that over 20% of African countries have no access to cancer treatments at all, while access is limited and sporadic in other countries. Later-stage diagnosis in African patients contributes to poorer outcomes, the report added.

It cited cases of 5-year female breast cancer relative survival rates are at 46% in Uganda and 12% in The Gambia, compared with around 90% in developed countries.

Background

Launched in 2016 as part of Merck cancer Access Program, with the aim to increase the limited number of qualified oncologists in the continent, three medical doctors from Sub-Saharan African countries of Kenya and South Africa were granted a two-year Africa medical oncology fellowship training at the University of Nairobi.

In addition, Merck Foundation supported another two African doctors from Ghana and Tanzania for the Paediatric and Adult Medical Fellowship program that is conducted annually at Tata Memorial Centre, India.

"We will continue to enroll more candidates and engage other countries on this program as we firmly believe this is a vital component of improving the quality and accessibility of cancer care in Africa," noted Kelej.

The African Union has targeted that by 2063, every citizen will have full access to affordable and quality health care services, and integrated and comprehensive health services and infrastructure will be in place, where services are available, accessible, affordable, acceptable, and of quality.