Challenges of Cancer Care Delivery in a Resource-Constrained Settings in North-Western Cameroon

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The global burden of cancer as a public health problem cannot be over - emphasized. In the developed countries, Cancer is fast growing out of the reach of trained oncologists and other experts. The burden of the problem is not limited to the developed countries; but recent reports showed that cancer is now a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in resource- constrained developing countries thus making it a major health priority. There is growing need to itemize these challenges to cancer care delivery in such resource-limited settings as a matter of urgency, with the view to particularly emphasize the creation of cost-effective, rational algorithms utilizing affordable chemotherapeutics to treat curable disease. The delivery of comprehensive cancer care in resource-poor settings demands a concerted effort by a team of multidisciplinary care providers, even if they are not trained oncologists. This article seeks to highlight such challenges in managing cancers in the developing world using Banso Baptist Hospital experience as an example. The communique also suggests ways of improving the care of cancer patients in such settings.