Session: Last Mile Cancer Technologies: Improving Cancer Survival Rates in LMICs
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are facing a cancer health crisis. The burden of cancer continues to grow as the cancer epidemic accelerates. Each year, 7 million cancer deaths are recorded globally with LMICs contributing to almost 72% of this cancer death rate. Several factors have been identified to contribute to this burden, ranging from the late presentation of the disease, poor access to early diagnosis and effective treatment, paucity of data to drive cancer policies, and a limited supply of oncology professionals. This notable shortage of the oncology workforce has further resulted in significant cancer care disparities with Low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) having the worst hit.
Cancer care is an Art and a Science and at its intersection lies Technology. The role of technology in advancing access to cancer care globally is expanding and this lure of mHealth promises disruptive technologies that will change the way we access cancer care. With this exponential growth and advancements of last-mile technologies, LMICs are prime to adapt such technologies to create solutions for our peculiar cancer challenges. For instance, the use of Blockchain for a resilient and equitable supply of life-saving therapeutic agents. The use of AI in helping cancer patients get around radiation-induced treatment side effects. The use of machine learning by clinical researchers to efficiently sort through massive amounts of patient data, and process real-world clinical evidence.
Our goal for this session is to share last-mile cancer technologies case studies from LMICs. We will reflect on the roles and applicability of these last-mile cancer technologies in the LMIC setting and further consider the context in which they might be applied to harness their full potential while mitigating possible harms and preventing the further deepening of cancer population disparities. We will highlight definite strategies aimed at strengthening the cancer ecosystems in LMICs. Lastly, we will disseminate the latest research on the development and implementation of low-cost and accessible last-mile cancer technologies in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for low-income, remote, and hard-to-reach settings.
Bio
Dr Adaorah Enyi is a health innovator with demonstrable experience in achieving the SDG 3 goals. She is Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Oncopadi Technologies Limited. Adaorah churns out data-driven solutions impacting underserved African populations and gaining global recognition; Sanofi, OneYoungWorld, TechWomen, NVA, US Astella Oncology, MTN, Microsoft4Afrika, LeapAfrica, SheLeadsAfrica, UICC and AORTIC.