Success in improving access to cancer care is not about a one-size-fits-all approach; it involves addressing unmet needs with high-impact actions.
In its comprehensive white paper, Improving Access to Affordable and Sustainable Oncological Care in Africa, IQVIA highlights country-specific strategies for improving access to cervical and breast cancer care across the continent, focusing on three pillars: affordability, accessibility, and availability.
Affordability: Innovative Approaches to Funding Cancer Care
- South Africa: With strong government health spending, a stable Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, and access to private health insurance, South Africa leads in ensuring affordability for cancer care.
- Ghana: The country is shifting towards public-private partnerships and innovative funding solutions to reduce dependence on foreign capital and create a more sustainable healthcare financing ecosystem.
- Kenya and Rwanda: High UHC scores reflect progress in exploring sustainable funding models for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer.
Accessibility: Strengthening Healthcare Infrastructure
- South Africa and Egypt: These countries benefit from mature healthcare systems with skilled specialty workforces, better access to diagnostics, radiotherapy, and specialised care. However, access remains concentrated in private urban facilities.
- Nigeria and Rwanda: By leveraging experience gained through infectious disease programs, these countries have significantly improved first-dose HPV vaccination rates, a crucial step in preventing cervical cancer.
Availability: Ensuring Essential Medicines and Resources
- Ghana: Focused on developing mature regulatory frameworks and accelerating market access pathways, Ghana is improving the availability of cancer treatments.
- Kenya and Egypt: Both countries demonstrate regulatory maturity, ensuring that essential cancer medicines are accessible to those in need.
What Role Can We Play Together?
NCDconnect is committed to working alongside governments and healthcare stakeholders to ensure that essential cancer treatments are accessible and affordable. Here’s how we can make a difference:
- Streamlining Supply Chains: Simplify distribution channels to ensure a consistent flow of quality-assured medicines.
- Consolidating Demand: Promote economies of scale through demand aggregation, lowering costs and improving affordability.
- Tackling Regulatory Hurdles: Facilitate market access by navigating complex regulatory landscapes through indirect commercialisation strategies.