RWANDA – Elekta Foundation launches a new model in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, that can be scalable in Rwanda.

The launch is in collaboration with the Rwanda Ministry of Health (RMoH), the Rwanda Biomedical Center, Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Society for Family Health,

A pilot campaign is being initiated to rapid-test approximately 20,000 women in rural villages for HPV, the virus responsible for cervical cancer, and to immediately treat those with precancerous lesions.

Patients diagnosed with cervical cancer will receive advanced treatments, and a feasibility study of community-based palliative care is on the way.

The RMoH will adopt the tested model to enhance its programs to support the WHO’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.

MoH partners Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners

Meanwhile, the Rwandan Ministry of Health has teamed up with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners In Health and University of Pennsylvania to expand access to lifesaving cancer treatment.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners In Health have teamed up with the Rwandan Ministry of Health and University of Pennsylvania to provide enhanced staffing, education and capacity building as well as rotations of medical students from the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) at the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence.

This oncology care delivery system at the Butaro Public District Hospital (BDH) in rural Rwanda has been established over the last decade and has provided free cancer treatment for over 14,700 patients.

UGHE has launched an Institute of Global Health Equity Research, with the goal of expanding evidence generation and research opportunities such that the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence model can inform how other countries in Africa can expand access to lifesaving cancer treatment to their most vulnerable populations.

This comes as the 2nd Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA), was being held at Kigali Convention Center, was hosted by Rwanda’s Ministry of Health in collaboration with African Union, Africa CDC and Rwanda Biomedical Center.

The conference, which brought together more than 2800 people, including health ministers, health experts, health organizations, media, civil society organizations, health activists and many people from 90 countries around the globe, was geared towards preparing Africa for future pandemics.

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