Cancer Registration
Cancer is killing more people in Developing countries than HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB combined. About 70% of all cancer deaths occur in these low- and middle- income states. The increasing burden of cancer upon the continent of Africa and the need for adequate surveillance as a fundamental part of cancer control has been recognised.
The African Cancer Registry Programme aims to improve the effectiveness of cancer surveillance by providing expert evaluation and technical support to Cancer Registries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Our goal is to strengthen health systems in Africa and to create research platforms for the identification of problems, priorities, and targets for effective cancer control initiatives.
Palliative Care
Every patient in need of pain relief could be helped if the current knowledge about pain control and palliative care was applied.
Tragically, due to poverty and the lack of available health services, 80% of cancer patients in developing countries present with advanced cancers. For these patients the only option is pain relief and palliative care. But, because pain treatment and palliative care are not priorities for their governments, healthcare workers often do not receive the necessary training to provide these services, nor are permitted to supply the pain-relieving drugs that we take for granted. As a consequence, terminally ill cancer patients and their families have to endure terrible suffering before death comes.
The Palliative Care Access Programme (PAX) is building sustainable palliative care programmes in India and Nepal. It provides professional training to health care workers and is dedicated to increasing the availability of pain-relieving drugs like morphine. Your support will help reduce the suffering of terminally ill cancer patients being cared for in our programmes.
The Palliative care programme in Nepal and India. Beneficiaries are local healthcare workers. Your money will be used to help provide training on palliative care and pain relief to local nurses and doctors.
Treating Children with Cancer
Children are the most vulnerable group of cancer patients. Endemic Burkitt lymphoma and Retinoblastoma are the two leading childhood cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In Africa Burkitt lymphoma is associated with chronic malaria and the Epstein-Barr virus and usually affects the child’s face and neck. It is a particularly aggressive form of cancer: a tumour can double in size in 18 hours. In the past, survival rates for African children with Burkitt lymphoma have been low – between 10 % – 20%. However, with the proper treatment regime this disfiguring cancer can be cured, even at an advanced stage, and more children’s lives saved.
The INCTR Burkitt Lymphoma Treatment Programme has treated over 650 patients (making it the biggest cohort of treated children with the disease in Africa) and has achieved an overall survival rate of 60%. We are aiming to improve on this. Treatment is quick and inexpensive: the cost of treating a child with the necessary chemotherapy and supporting drugs is under £200.
INCTR Burkitt lymphoma treatment programme in Uganda. Beneficiaries are children with BL. Your money will be used to help purchase chemotherapy drugs.