-
Objective is to provide
patients with rapid cancer diagnostics and appropriate
care
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First focus will be on
Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania
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Cancer is on the rise in
Africa, with more than 500,000 deaths
Basel, 15 November 2017 -
Novartis, the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) and
the American Cancer Society (ACS) announced today they will work
together to devise a common approach to improve access to
cancer treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa. Each partner brings unique
expertise in cancer diagnosis and treatment. This complements the
work the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is doing to
improve access to affordable, quality-approved oncology medicines
in the region.
ASCP will build healthcare capacity for
immuno-histochemistry (IHC) analysis in two hospital laboratories
in Ethiopia and Tanzania. ACS will support training of healthcare
professionals in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda to ensure quality
processes in the transportation of biopsy samples and in the
administration of chemotherapy. Novartis will provide funding to
support the technical work. This initiative will serve as a pilot
for the future roll-out of similar activities to other
countries.
"Immunohistochemistry is required for oncologists
to treat many cancers," said ASCP CEO Blair Holladay, PhD, MASCP,
SCT(ASCP)CM. "This partnership will allow us to provide
high-quality, rapid, and accurate screening and diagnosis, taking
in-country cancer care to the next level."
"The American Cancer Society is pleased to be a
part of this initiative to make high-quality cancer treatment
available to people with cancer in Ethiopia and Tanzania. We'll be
addressing some of the most pressing challenges patients face in
getting access to high-quality cancer treatment," said Sally Cowal,
Senior Vice President for Global Cancer Control at ACS.
Cancer is on the rise in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Approximately 650,000 people in Africa develop cancer annually, and
about 510,000 cancer deaths occur annually due to limited
treatment. More than one third of cancer deaths in Africa are from
cancers that are easily preventable and/or treatable, if detected
early.
"A medicine is only as good as the system that
delivers it," said Dr. Harald Nusser, Head of Novartis Social
Business. "Through our catalytic funding, we target projects that
have an impact on healthcare providers and support patients through
their journey. We hope this collaboration will provide earlier and
more effective diagnosis to cancer patients, improving the
likelihood for better health outcomes."
Cancer care in Africa is still fragmented. Through
this initiative, partners are being connected to national health
priorities, strengthening the whole continuum of care for cancer
patients, from training for better diagnosis and care and improved
access to treatment, through to advocacy for national cancer
treatment guidelines.
ASCP IHC Capacity Building
Program
The diagnosis and treatment of cancer requires high-quality, rapid,
and accurate screening and testing. This includes
interpretation of histology for diseases, such as breast carcinoma,
which requires IHC to determine specific, targeted treatments for
each patient. A pathology laboratory equipped to produce
hematoxylin and eosin stain-one of the principal stains in
histology-is not enough, even with a competent pathologist present
and adequate reagents and consumables. Immunohistochemistry is
required for oncologists to treat many cancers.
ASCP will focus on improving access to diagnostic equipment;
provide laboratory-wide training to increase access to therapies
for IHC-related diagnosable cancer; and ensure supply chain
management for IHC reagents and supplies. This work is aligned with
the health strategies of Ethiopia and Tanzania, which detail the
need for IHC as part of diagnostic services, specifically to
advance the fight against breast cancer.
ACS ChemoSafe
Program
As use of chemotherapy increases, so does the risk of occupational
exposure. Several African health ministries have requested
assistance from ACS with improving the safety of chemotherapy
management as many African hospitals face challenges not seen in
other regions. For instance, hot work environments make it
challenging for staff to work for long periods in gowns, gloves,
and masks. Large cancer centers that are spread over several
buildings may require staff to carry supplies over long distances,
often outdoors in hot temperatures which can compromise samples.
The ability to safely dispose of waste is not always possible.
ACS will be implementing ChemoSafe, a
comprehensive approach to promoting the safe handling and
administration of chemotherapy and quality service provision to
patients in Sub-Saharan Africa. As part of ChemoSafe, ACS
will coordinate the development and implementation of a training
and facility-strengthening program designed with the Oncology
Nursing Society to improve safe handling and administration of
chemotherapy, including the use of protective equipment like
exhaust hoods to protect staff from exposure while mixing
chemotherapy drugs. ACS will also be working with peripheral
hospitals to strengthen systems for collecting and transporting
biopsy specimens to the central IHC labs to improve the quality and
sample turnaround time. The funding from Novartis will support the
program pilot launch in Ethiopia and scaling of the program in
Uganda and Tanzania.
Targeted hospitals
The plan is to implement these initiatives in the following
hospitals in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda:
In Ethiopia, Tikur Anbessa Teaching Hospital
(Black Lion) in Addis Ababa is the only comprehensive cancer center
in the country. To address the lack of access to cancer services,
the government has reactivated its immunohistochemistry program,
and has launched an ambitious breast cancer treatment expansion
program for twelve additional hospitals. The model is expected to
be an essential stepping stone toward Ethiopia's plan to open five
new comprehensive cancer centers by 2020.
In Tanzania, the Ocean Road Cancer Institute
(ORCI) is the only specialty cancer center in the country. ACS is
working with oncologists at ORCI through the African Cancer
Coalition project to adapt the National Comprehensive Cancer
Network's cancer treatment guidelines for Sub-Saharan Africa. A
focus in the coming years will be on strengthening forecasting and
procurement of chemotherapy. Muhimbili National Hospital is a
1,500-bed, tertiary care center in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, serving
more than 5 million people. It is the primary public hospital that
is responsible for diagnosing patients with cancer prior to
treatment. Although staffed with pathologists and technicians,
access to sustained reagents for immunohistochemistry is an ongoing
challenge.
The Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) is the only
comprehensive cancer center in the country. Uganda plans to develop
four additional public cancer treatment centers. UCI plays a
leadership role in the region and has been recently designated by
the East Africa Community as the center of excellence for oncology.
As a large volume hospital and a regional leader, it is essential
that UCI establishes a strong foundation of safe, quality
chemotherapy delivery. ASCP and ACS are both supporting UCI's new
telepathology program.
About ASCP
Founded in 1922 in Chicago, ASCP is a medical professional society
with more than 100,000 member board-certified anatomic and clinical
pathologists, pathology residents and fellows, laboratory
professionals, and students. ASCP provides excellence in education,
certification, and advocacy on behalf of patients, pathologists,
and laboratory professionals. To learn more, visit ASCP.ORG. Follow
us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
About ACS
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of nearly
2 million volunteers dedicated to saving lives, celebrating lives,
and leading the fight for a world without cancer. From breakthrough
research, to free lodging near treatment, a 24/7/365 live helpline,
free rides to treatment, and convening powerful activists to create
awareness and impact, the Society is the only organization
attacking cancer from every angle. For more information go to
www.cancer.org. ACS does not endorse any service or product.
About Novartis Social
Business
Novartis Social Business is part of Novartis, one of the world's
largest healthcare companies. The unit focuses on programs that
make a real impact on access to medicines for people in
lower-income countries. These are designed to be sustainable long
term, not relying on donations, donor funding or subsidies. One of
the unit's flagship programs is Novartis Access, a portfolio of
medicines against key noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including
breast cancer. Beyond the portfolio, Novartis Access also partners
with public and private stakeholders to offer capacity building
activities to support healthcare systems in preventing, diagnosing
and treating NCDs. Novartis Social Business is operationally
managed by Sandoz, the Novartis generics and biosimilars division.
For more information, please visit
http://socialbusiness.novartis.com.
# # #
Novartis Media
Relations
Central media line: +41 61 324 2200
E-mail: media.relations@novartis.com
Antonio
Ligi
Novartis Global Media Relations
+41 61 324 1374 (direct)
+41 79 723 3681 (mobile)
antonio.ligi@novartis.com |
Nadine
Schecker
Novartis Social Business
+41 61 696 8633 (direct)
+41 79 682 1326 (mobile)
nadine.schecker@novartis.com |
Media release (PDF)