Rwanda Advances Cancer Control with Focus on Cervical Cancer and Health Workforce Development
A recent international assessment found that Rwanda has taken important steps to address preventable cancers nationwide. This includes measures to improve cancer services, develop critical governance documents and train oncology professionals. However, the challenge of increasing comprehensive cancer care nationwide remains.
this Influence CommentsCarried by the IAEA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and completed in January, Rwanda’s health system capacity and the need for cancer care and control.
“This review is very timely, as Rwanda is now launching its new national cancer control program for 2025-2029 and accelerates its cervical cancer elimination strategy,” said Claude Mambo Muvunyi, Director General of the Ministry of Health’s Luda Biomedical Center. “Rwanda is constantly moving towards enhancing cancer prevention and treatment services for its population.”
According to IARC data in 2022, 7,000 new diagnoses and more than 4,800 deaths each year, cancer is an increasingly serious health problem in Rwanda, driven in part by infectious diseases such as the human papillomavirus (HPV) virus. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women, followed by breast and gastric cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common among men, followed by stomach and liver cancer.
Domestic missions
During the domestic mission from January 20-24, the IAEA team, IARC technical officials, and eight international experts from Africa and the Americas met with national authorities, civil society, survivor groups and other stakeholders to better understand the country’s cancer control landscape.
They also visited the Rwanda Military Referral and Teaching Hospital, which hosts the Rwanda Cancer Center, including the Rwanda Cancer Center, the Teaching Hospital of the University of Kigali (CHUK), and regional health care centers across the country.
The group commended Rwanda for its commitment to strengthening cancer control and the significant progress made since the previous impact review in 2014. Rwanda is currently updating its National Cancer Control Program (NCCP), which will be implemented in 2025-2029, and the recommendations of recent international assessments will help help its activities.
“As a strategic tool, the NCCP is critical to ensuring the priority of disease in the national health context and guiding measures to address pressing cancer challenges and resource allocation,” said Laura Haskins, a program officer at IAEA.
Cancer prevention is praised
The Impact Group also praised Rwanda’s efforts in cancer prevention, which include supporting physical activities, strengthening tobacco control and promoting vaccinations against HPV – responsible for more than 95% of women with cervical cancer. Rwanda is the first country in Africa to introduce an HPV vaccine, and by 2023, by 2023, by the age of 15, the first dose coverage rate for girls is 90%. This year, the country plans to step up efforts to eliminate cervical cancer nationwide for vaccine promotion of vaccines and screening.
Despite this progress, the international team found that challenges in Rwanda remained in cancer control, including uneven distribution of specialized health care nationwide, and dependence on external funds National Health plan.
The team made recommendations to help address these issues, urging Rwanda to increase domestic public/private investment in health and stressed the importance of integrating cancer control into other health plans to increase services and recommendations.
Representative Brian Chirombo said: “The WHO office is committed to supporting Rwanda as it strengthens the health system for cancer control, especially to ensure integration with existing programs and structures.”
Plan to expand radiation therapy
Rwanda has two linear accelerators in a medical facility in Kigali that provide some radiation therapy services, but machine downtime due to lack of service staff remains a barrier to timely access to treatment. The Impact team recommends expanding radiomedical services (including near-range radiation therapy) outside the capital under the department’s plan. They also recommend investment in training to promote domestic equipment services. Nuclear medicine capabilities are being developed, and the Impact Group recommends expanding professional training, including various imaging methods, etc.
Through its technical cooperation and human health programmes, the IAEA has been supporting Rwanda to build capacity to increase quality assurance for human resources and cancer control. “After the 2014 impact review, the agency also provided expert advice to the government on the design and implementation of radiation therapy services,” added Tomoaki Tamaki, head of the IAEA Department of Human Health. Support includes a cost plan that paves the way for the country’s first radiation therapy center to open in 2019.
In 2022, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) launched the Road to Hope Program to help bridge the global access to cancer care, focusing on partnerships to ensure the maximum impact and sustainability of efforts.
Distributed by Apo Group on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
