C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge Update on Activities in Kumasi, Ghana May 2018 Background Launched in January 2017, C/Can 2025: City Cancer Challenge is a multisectoral initiative supporting cities to take the lead in the design, planning and implementation of cancer treatment solutions. Led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) with the support and involvement of many of its key members and partners, C/Can 2025 aims to increase the number of people with access to quality cancer treatment in cities around the world through a network of motivated partners including city leaders, governments, NGOs, UN agencies, and domestic and international businesses.
Introduction The C/Can 2025 initiative in Kumasi is evolving progressively and smoothly as planned. Kumasi was selected as the first city in Africa and the fourth in the world to serve as a Key Learning City for Africa for the initiative. The announcement of the selection of Kumasi was made on 14 November 2017 during the World Cancer Leaders’ Summit in Mexico. The Summit included the participation of a high-level delegation from Ghana led by H.E. Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health of Ghana, assisted by the Ashanti Regional MinisterHon.Simon Osei-Mensah and Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi. Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Chief Executive.
During the Summit, a formal Memorandum of Understanding launching C/Can 2025 activities in Kumasi was signed by the Minister of Health of Ghana, Ashanti Regional Minister and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive. C/Can 2025 is currently implementing its first phase of activities in Kumasi – a city needs assessment of facilities directly or indirectly involved in cancer care continuum with a strategy designed to involve city leaders, NGOs, patients, the government and business. This report provides a summary of key activities carried out since launching the initiative in Kumasi. Bottom left: The official launch in Kumasi, February 2018 Below: Delegation of Ghana led by H.E. Hon. Kwaku AgyemanManu, MOH of Ghana, World Cancer Leaders’ Summit, Mexico, 14 November 2017
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First Executive Committee Meeting On 7 February 2018, C/Can 2025 was formally launched in Kumasi. The meeting was officially chaired by Nana Baffour Owusu Amankwatia IV, Senior representative of the Ashanti Kingdom; Hon. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister of Health of Ghana; Hon. Simon Osei Mensah, Regional Minister of Ashanti Region; and by Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi, Metropolitan Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. The objectives of the inaugural meeting were to officially convene the Executive Committee1, present C/Can 2025 objectives, introduce C/Can 2025 Kumasi team members, define roles, responsibilities and next steps to be carried out throughout 2018, including the needs assessment, situation analysis, activity planning and development of the implementation plan. C/Can 2025 Global and Regional Senior Staff also attended the meeting, including Ms Melissa Rendler-Garcia, Director of Regional Operations,
Dr Jose Jeronimo, Lead Coordinator, City Needs Assessment, Dr Kokou Agoudavi, Africa Regional Director and Ms Laura Solia Shellaby, City Health Financing Lead. At the same event, the Executive Committee appointed four technical group leaders (Table 1) for the city needs assessment process, and scheduled the first Technical Committee2 meeting on 21-22 March 2018. Group of 12-15 representatives responsible for driving the initiative forward in the city, and should be considered as the initiative’s board of directors in the city. Their role includes guiding, overseeing and approving all key findings of the needs assessment process, the identification of the main priorities and development of the city activity plan.
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Group of 20-25 members responsible for overseeing all technical work required for the needs assessment of cancer care in the city, and organised into four technical groups following the structure of the city needs assessment tool.
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Technical groups and leads Table 1 Technical Group leaders Technical groups
Leads
1. Management of Cancer Services
Dr Alberta Britwum-Nyarko
2. Core Cancer Services
Dr Baffour Awuah
3. Quality of Cancer Services
Dr Ernest Osei-Bonsu
4. Community Access and Comprehensive care
Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai
Kumasi City Cancer Challenge 2025 Launching ceremony, Kumasi (Ghana) 7 February 2018
Update on Activities in Kumasi, Ghana - May 2018
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First mission to engage with C/Can 2025 Partners On 10 February, the C/Can 2025 team held its first meeting in Accra with local and regional representatives of C/Can 2025 global partners. During this meeting, the participants including representatives from Novartis South Africa, MERCK Ghana, Roche Ghana and JANSSEN Ghana, were officially informed about the launch of the C/Can 2025 initiative in Kumasi and briefed on the process and next steps at the city level. The presentation also included specific actions and timeline towards the development of the implementation plan.
The aim of the technical meeting was to provide participants with basic information about the survey, how to complete the survey tool and practical information about its implementation. The survey tool has been divided into 9 evaluation areas: (1) Basic oncology services – labs, (2) Basic oncology services – imaging, (3) Basic oncology services - Cancer surgery, (4) Basic oncology services – Medical oncology, (5) Basic oncology services - Palliative and supportive care, (6) Basic oncology services – Radiotherapy, (7) Management of cancer care services, (8) Quality of cancer care and (9) Community access and comprehensive care. The Executive Committee and the C/Can 2025 Kumasi team agreed to conduct the entire needs assessments process within two months, from 3 April to 31 May 2018. The timeline was established to provide enough time for analysis, feedback and presentation of key findings during the upcoming 2018 World Cancer Congress, to be held 1-4 October in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Above: Participants, First C/Can 2025 Kumasi Partnership meeting, Accra, 10 February 2018
First Technical Committee Meeting A meeting was held for key health care providers selected to participate in the needs assessment data collection process. More than 150 health professionals attended including medical oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, nurses, radiotherapists, community health workers, and health service managers.
Other images on this page: Participants, First C/Can 2025 Kumasi Technical Committee meeting, Kumasi 21-22 March 2018
Update on Activities in Kumasi, Ghana - May 2018
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Data collection process In total, more than 250 participants representing 34 public and private sectors health facilities of Kumasi are currently participating in the city needs assessment data collection process. The local team is expecting to collect completed questionnaires by 5 May 2018 to facilitate the data entry process and analysis.
The C/Can 2025 Partnership team arranged meetings with representatives of the following NGOs, institutions and companies: the World Child Cancer, NGO Reach for Recovery Ghana, Varian (local radiotherapy company), the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, GE Healthcare, the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health and two members of the Kumasi C/Can 2025 Executive Committee at the Ministry of Health: Drs Baffour Awuah ( Advisor to the Minister of Health) and Dr Dennis Laryea (NCD Program Director). The team also used this opportunity to begin identifying local influential stakeholders in Ghana and Kumasi in preparation for the third Mission. The third mission to engage with global and local partners is scheduled for 27 July 2018.
Situation Analysis Workshop 25-26 July 2018
Data gathered during the needs assessment will be reviewed and analyzed to assess the strengths and gaps in the delivery of cancer services at the city level. A situation analysis report will be developed and shared with Kumasi C/Can 2025 partners for information.
Second mission to engage with global and local partners The second mission included a scoping of other potential C/Can 2025 partners at local and regional level. On 8 May, Access Accelerated Initiative (AAI) hosted a partners meeting in ACCRA with AA representatives and other partners such as the World Bank, WHF, NCD Alliance and PATH. During the meeting, the C/Can 2025 team, represented by Ms Eva Cuirana Casademont, Partnership Manager and Dr. Kokou Agoudavi, updated the partner group on Kumasi activities and shared some keys learnings from Asuncion and Cali, to raise awareness of potential engagement from the various companies and partners present in the meeting.
Left column: The local team packaging the questionnaires to be sent to the participants, Kumasi 13 April 2018 This column: C/Can 2025 Partnership team visiting the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (top) in a meeting with AAI representatives (bottom)
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