#AFRICANXT 2023

The African continent with its 1.1 billion people is facing a cancer health crisis. Cancer death rate is reported to increase from 520,000 in 2020  to 1,000,000,000 deaths per year in 2030. Nigeria the most populated country in Africa accounts for 125,000 new cancer cases and over 72,000 deaths in 2020. 70% of these deaths are avoidable through early detection and effective treatment. Oncology professionals are in limited supply; less than 90 clinical oncologists in Nigeria. 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.

In this session, we will reflect on the applicability of these last-mile cancer technologies in the African setting and further consider the context in which they might be applied to harness their full potential while mitigating possible harms and preventing further deepening of cancer population disparities. We will discuss the roles of these technologies in augmenting our dysfunctional cancer systems and highlight definite strategies aimed at strengthening these systems.