Worldwide Initiative for Quality and Equitable Cancer Treatment: Shaping a Globe with Accessible Cancer Care for All
City Cancer Challenge: Bringing Quality Cancer Care to Under-Resourced Cities
Cancer is a significant global health concern, claiming nearly 10 million lives worldwide in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). For a sprawling metropolis grappling with the growing cancer burden, the City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) offers a lifeline.
This innovative foundation, launched in 2017, is a determined response to supporting cities in resource-limited settings in their mission to improve access to quality cancer care. The initiative boasts a global community of cities, all striving towards a common objective: providing sustainable, scalable solutions tailored to local needs.
The backbone of C/Can's strategy lies in its 'City Engagement Process Framework' (CEPF). This framework offers support to cities as they identify, plan, and implement solutions over a two-to-three-year period. C/Can acknowledges that each city is unique, so the CEPF provides a flexible framework that can be adapted to lower-income settings.
One city that has benefited from C/Can's support is Kumasi, Ghana. This collaboration has resulted in numerous achievements, such as the creation of a City Executive Committee, a group of decision-makers driving cancer care solutions forward. Furthermore, the C/Can-led situational analysis provided Kumasi with a clear understanding of its needs and areas for improvement.
As of today, 11 cities across the globe are part of the C/Can network, impacting over 54 million people. The foundation intends to expand its reach, with several African cities on its shortlist for future partnerships.
In addition to supporting cities, C/Can also seeks to prioritize quality and timely cancer diagnosis in under-served areas. One of the challenges obstructing this goal is a lack of infrastructure, technological capabilities, adequately trained staff, and standardized diagnostic procedures. Addressing these barriers is essential for enhancing healthcare workers' ability to make informed clinical decisions.
With Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) committing resources, C/Can's efforts to improve cancer care in Kumasi have taken a significant leap. The six-month project aims to strengthen timely and accurate cancer diagnosis, focusing on addressing the barriers impeding patients from receiving accurate diagnoses as swiftly as possible.
C/Can's work in Kumasi represents a stepping stone towards a broader goal: building a world where equitable, quality cancer care is accessible to all. Its initiatives underscore the importance of collaborative, multisectoral approaches that recognize the unique needs of each city and leverage partnerships to overcome systemic challenges. As those partnerships grow and evolve, the hope is that the city of Kumasi and others like it will serve as blueprints for effective, sustainable cancer care in resource-constrained settings.
- The City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) focuses on improving access to quality cancer care in under-resourced cities, addressing a significant global health concern that claimed nearly 10 million lives in 2020 according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Launched in 2017, C/Can is an innovative foundation dedicated to supporting cities in resource-limited settings in their efforts to improve quality cancer care.
- The initiative's strategy revolves around its 'City Engagement Process Framework' (CEPF), a flexible framework designed to support cities in identifying, planning, and implementing solutions for local health-and-wellness needs over a two-to-three-year period.
- After receiving support from C/Can, cities like Kumasi in Ghana have seen numerous achievements, such as the creation of a City Executive Committee to drive cancer care solutions.
- The foundation's goal is to expand its reach, with several African cities on its shortlist for future partnerships, impacting over 54 million people in the 11 cities currently part of the C/Can network.
- C/Can aims to prioritize quality and timely cancer diagnosis in underserved areas, addressing barriers such as a lack of infrastructure, technological capabilities, adequately trained staff, and standardized diagnostic procedures.
- With Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) committing resources, C/Can's efforts to improve cancer care in Kumasi have progressed, focusing on strengthening timely and accurate cancer diagnosis.
- C/Can's work in Kumasi represents a stepping stone towards a broader goal: building a world where equitable, quality cancer care is accessible to all, enabled by collaborative, multisectoral approaches that recognize the unique needs of each city and leverages partnerships to overcome systemic challenges.
