African Region (AFR)

Objectives

• The Africa Cancer Research and Control ECHO (Africa Cancer ECHO) convenes researchers, advocates, clinicians and policymakers to address cancer control challenges and discuss evidence-based approaches.
• Session topics are identified through an annual evaluation survey under leadership of a volunteer-led steering committee.
• The aim of the study was to conduct a content analysis of the 2020-2021 series to describe the types of information exchanged, and by whom, through this telementoring platform.

Cancer survivorship is a critical yet often overlooked component of national cancer control plans (NCCPs). A multidisciplinary research team examined the inclusion of survivorship-related strategies and objectives in current or recently expired NCCPs of 21 African countries and published aggregate findings in January 2023. To promote access to and use of those results for decision-making by local and regional cancer planners, advocates, and policymakers, the team created survivorship profiles for each country to be published alongside NCCPs on the International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP) Portal.

The International Cancer Control Partnership (ICCP), with the support of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), regularly updates an inventory of national cancer control plans (NCCPs) globally and features new NCCPs on an interactive map on its web portal (www.iccp-portal.org).

• Over the last decade, the ICCP portal has become a platform for integrated access to current NCCPs and other relevant resources in one location.

• The portal has increasingly been used by cancer control planners and researchers in Africa and beyond.

• With the greater emphasis on NCCPs globally, following the cancer resolution adopted at the 70th World Health Assembly in Geneva, countries in Africa are increasingly developing NCCPs as illustrated by the steady growth of the number of plans featured on the ICCP portal.