Applying Implementation Research Principles to Enhance Cancer Detection in Southern Africa: A Case Study of AWACAN-ED
الملخص
Effective implementation research is critical for addressing global health challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resource constraints and health disparities are prevalent. The African aWAreness of CANcer & Early Diagnosis (AWACAN-ED) project is an NIHR-funded Global Health Research Group focusing on Advancing Early Diagnosis of Cancer in Southern Africa. This project exemplifies the application of implementation research principles to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment in Southern Africa. This paper explores how AWACAN-ED aligns with seven key principles of implementation research: local relevance and contextualization, stakeholder engagement, ethical considerations, monitoring and evaluation, communication and dissemination, sustainability, and capacity building with supportive supervision. AWACAN-ED focuses on developing e-tools for early cancer detection while integrating its activities into existing healthcare frameworks, ensuring long-term sustainability and scalability. It prioritizes local stakeholder engagement, ethical rigour, and robust capacity-building initiatives to empower researchers and health practitioners. The project employs comprehensive monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to adapt interventions and maximize impact. AWACAN-ED’s ability to translate research findings into actionable policies highlights its policy-relevant research approach, creating frameworks for cancer costing and management that influence health system strengthening. By examining the successes and challenges of AWACAN-ED, this paper provides valuable insights into the effective implementation of health initiatives in LMICs. The findings emphasize the importance of sustainable planning, community engagement, and adaptive learning to achieve meaningful, lasting health outcomes. AWACAN-ED serves as a model for cancer care implementation research and underscores the potential of similar programs to address critical health issues globally
التنزيلات
المراجع
Bray, F., Ferlay, J., Soerjomataram, I., Siegel, R. L., Torre, L. A., & Jemal, A. (2018). Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 68(6), 394- 424. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21492
Olabode Omotoso, John Oluwafemi Teibo, Festus Adebayo Atiba, Tolulope Oladimeji, Oluwatomiwa Kehinde Paimo, Ataya FS, et al. Addressing cancer care inequities in sub-Saharan Africa: current challenges and proposed solutions. International Journal for Equity in Health. 2023 Sep 11; 22(1).
Peters, D. H., Tran, N. T., & Adam, T. (2013). Implementation research in health: A practical guide. World Health Organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/implementation-research-in-health
AWACAN-ED African aWAreness of CANcer & Early Diagnosis [Internet]. AWACAN-ED |. 2014. Available from: https://awacan.online/
World Health Organization. (2020). Guide to cancer early diagnosis. WHO Press. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/cancer/publications/guide-to-cancer-early-diagnosis
Denny L, Anorlu R. Cervical Cancer in Africa. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. 2012 Jul 17; 21(9):1434–8. https: //pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22806169/
Costantini L, Riccio MD, Piccoli E, Lavecchia V, Corradini E, Bonaccorsi G, et al. Use of digital technologies to support cancer screening in community health promotion interventions: scoping review. Health Promotion International [Internet]. 2023 Feb 1 [cited 2023 Mar 29]; 38(1):1– 9. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac189
Binagwaho A, Wagner C, Gatera M, Karema C, Nutt C, Ngaboa F. Achieving high coverage in Rwanda’s national human papillomavirus vaccination programme. Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2012 Aug 1; 90(8):623–8.
Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) [Internet]. Fred Hutch. Available from: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/public-health-sciences- division/research/epidemiology/breast-health-global-initiative.html
World Health Organization. Cancer [Internet]. World Health Organization. 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
Welcome to African Cancer Registry [Internet]. afcrn.org. [cited 2024 Jul 2]. https://afcrn.org/
Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI) [Internet]. Fred Hutch. https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/divisions/public-health-sciences-division/research/epidemiology/breast-health-global-initiative.html
PEPFAR 2020 Annual Report to Congress [Internet]. https://www.state.gov/wp- content/uploads/2020/09/PEPFAR2020ARC.pdf
Exploring Determinants of Patient Adherence to Cervical Pre-Cancer Treatment in Harare, Zimbabwe | AWACAN-ED [Internet]. AWACAN-ED |. 2024 [cited 2024 Jul 2]. https://awacan.online/news/exploring-determinants-of-patient-adherence-to-cervical-pre-cancer-treatment-in-harare-zimbabwe/
Nkya TE, Fillinger U, Dlamini M, Sangoro OP, Marubu R, Zulu Z, et al. Malaria in Eswatini, 2012–2019: a case study of the elimination effort. Malaria Journal. 2021 Mar 20; 20(1). https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-021-03699-x
Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS) | EA Health [Internet]. www.eahealth.org. [cited 2024 Jul 2]. https://www.eahealth.org/directory/search/organisations/tanzania-health-promotion-support-thps
H3Africa | Human Heredity & Health in Africa | Human Genomic Research [Internet]. H3Africa. https://h3africa.org/
www.malariaconsortium.org. [cited 2024 Jul 12]. Available from: https://www.malariaconsortium.org/media-downloads/1570/capacity-development
University of Cape Town [Internet]. Faculty of Health Sciences. 2023. https://health.uct.ac.za/satvi
Sankoh O, Byass P. The INDEPTH Network: filling vital gaps in global epidemiology. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2012 Jun;41(3):579–88. https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/41/3/579/837351
African Partnership for Chronic Disease Research (APCDR) [Internet]. www.sanger.ac.uk. [cited 2024 Jul 12]. https://www.sanger.ac.uk/collaboration/african-partnership-chronic-disease-research-apcdr/
KEMRI Privacy Policy [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jul 12]. https://kemri-wellcome.org/privacy-policy/
MLW [Internet]. LSTM. [cited 2024 Jul 12]. https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/mlw
Responsible Conduct of Research - Grant Funding [Internet]. Wellcome. https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/guidance/responsible-conduct-research
Africa Research Excellence Fund [Internet]. 2023 [cited 2024 Jul 13]. https://africaresearchexcellencefund.org.uk/
Home [Internet]. Kemri. Available from: https://www.kemri.go.ke/
Tuberculosis Research Units Network (TBRU-N) | NIAID: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [Internet]. www.niaid.nih.gov. 2022 [cited 2024 Jul 13]. https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/tuberculosis-research-units-network
Malaria Consortium - Monitoring and Evaluation of Malaria Activities in the GMS [Internet]. www.malariaconsortium.org. [cited 2024 Jul 13]. https://www.malariaconsortium.org/resources/publications/49/monitoring-and-evaluation-of-malaria-activities-in-the-gms
Health Research and Innovation Strategy for Africa (HRISA): 2018-2030 | AUDA-NEPAD [Internet]. www.nepad.org. [cited 2024 Jul 13]. https://www.nepad.org/publication/health-research-and-innovation-strategy-africa-hrisa-2018-2030
PASGR - Advancing research excellence for governance and public policy in Africa. [Internet]. PASGR. [cited 2024 Jul 23]. https://www.pasgr.org/
Health systems strengthening [Internet]. UHC2030. Available from: https://www.uhc2030.org/what-we-do/improving-collaboration/health-systems-strengthening/
Sustainable Health Systems [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jul 23].: https://shssl.org/
Regional Health Integration to Enhance Services in Eastern Uganda (RHITES-East) [Internet]. IntraHealth. 2017 [cited 2024 Jul 23]. https://www.intrahealth.org/projects/regional-health-integration-enhance-services-eastern-uganda-rhites-east
th anniversary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) [Internet]. www.who.int.https://www.who.int/news- room/events/detail/2024/01/01/default-calendar/50th-anniversary-of- the- expanded- programme- on- immunization-(epi)
الحقوق الفكرية (c) 2024 Stephen Ogweno
هذا العمل مرخص حسب الرخصة Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
