American Cancer Society Hosts the First Africa Cancer Information and Advocacy Initiative Workshop in Accra, Ghana

Johanna Ralston, vice president, Global Strategies, American Cancer Society (second from right), being interviewed by a reporter with Net2 Television, a Ghana television station

On March 26-30, 2009, the American Cancer Society hosted the Africa Cancer Information and Advocacy Initiative Workshop on Cancer Control Planning, an inaugural training event in Accra, Ghana. The workshop convened 42 cancer control advocates from 21 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in four African countries – Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and South Africa – to help them develop successful cancer control programs. The cancer burden in Africa is rising, with about 650,000 people on the continent developing cancer annually. Programs that increase cancer awareness and promote early detection and survivor support programs are urgently needed in Africa, as breast, cervical, liver, prostate and HIV/AIDS-related cancers become more prevalent there. The three-day workshop opened with remarks from Dr. George Amofah, deputy director general, Ghana Health Service, and Johanna Ralston, vice president, Global Strategies, American Cancer Society. Training facilitators assisted NGO participants in the development of evidence-based project proposals for their cancer control programs. Training facilitators who work in the region provided one-on-one feedback to the participants on their draft proposals. By the end of the workshop, participants created detailed action plans for cancer control interventions or campaigns, some of which involve national or regional collaboration between participating organizations. Following the workshop, some of the participants took part in a site visit to a local Ghana cancer treatment center. In addition, Loyce Pace, director, Regional Programs, American Cancer Society met with 15 journalists from Ghana print, television, and radio media outlets to discuss the lack of cancer awareness in Ghana’s government and general public and shared insights from these discussions with workshop participants.

Comments

[Dr. Gad Akwensivie]

More of such workshops needed in developing countries. at the end of the workshop it was clear that the problems were the same. "common problem" and the realisation that we need conserted efforts at finding lasting solutions to them

[Tosin Orogun]

This training by the American Cancer Society, has not only provided the capacity needed for effective cancer control in Africa, it has successfully brought together, stakeholders in cancer and tobacco control across the continent and created the level of collaboration needed to ensure synergy of efforts.

[NNTCB]

Considering the already established link between tobacco smoking and cancer, this training is timely and highly commendable as it will strengthen the ongoing efforts in tobacco and cancer control on the continent.