Enhancing Access to Cancer Care Technology in six sub-Saharan African and Asian Countries

Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Ghana, Guinea, Sri Lanka, Yemen

This project aimed to enhance access to Cancer Care Technology by preparing the access to medical devices for cancer therapy in six countries in Africa and Asia with a high cancer burden and low availability of medical equipment and services. The project contributed towards the implementation of the WHO Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-2020 and the achievement of the “25 by 25” target to decrease premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 25% by 2025. The project implementation was in collaboration with the WHO Medical Devices unit and WHO Cancer Control Programme in consultation with the International Union for Cancer Control, the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the International Organization for Medical Physics. The project benefited from WHO’s extensive network of international and national partners, including health technology focal points in ministries of health, national regulatory agencies, academia, research and scientific institutions, regional economic groups, national and international NGOs, civil society and UN agencies. The project has achieved the following components: I) Development of a WHO List of Priority Medical Devices for Clinical Interventions for all Stages of Cancer Care, through: a) Implementation of actions requested in the ‘Consultation on Priority Medical Devices for Cancer Care Management’ held in WHO HQs in April 2015. WHO reviewed the List of Priority Medical Devices for Cancer Management to improve its structure and improve its usability. Medical devices for cancer care has been categorized by use by clinical area; the general medical devices requirements that a health facility should have to manage cancer patients; and by specific devices needed for a particular neoplasm (cervical, breast, colorectal, prostate, lung or leukemia). Furthermore, WHO drafted and reviewed the methodology used for intervention selection and medical devices identification. b) Meeting of the WHO Advisory Committee on Medical Devices for Cancer Care, 21-22 September 2015, WHO HQs, Geneva, Switzerland. The consultation brought together 24 participants including 13 technical advisers. Technical advisers represented specialized areas such as surgical oncology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, biomedical engineering and health technology assessment. c) Process to review the List by Experts groups per clinical area WHO received 83 nominations towards memberships of the technical working groups, 60 of these were selected, in light of considerations such as gender, regional representation; field of expertise or discipline representation to each working group. After several expert review, the WHO List of Priority Medical Devices for Cancer Management was organized by clinical services, into seven chapters and where necessary made references to infrastructure requirements, quality management, human resource or other necessary capacities required. II) Preparing for work in countries WHO has been holding consultations with target countries towards implementation of developing country analysis considering the socio-political stability, burden of disease, national cancer control plan implementation and priorities; health technology management and assessment status. In order to develop an action plan to improve access to medical devices for cancer in each country, WHO continues to liaise with relevant ministries of health and regional/national organizations, WHO National Professional Officers and medicines/health technology advisers in WHO Regional Offices. III) Ensuring international engagement and technical expertise Throughout the project, WHO has presented the project in a number of international meetings, in order to engage partners in the global health technology and cancer community.