Providing Transportation Support To Increase Access To Cancer Treatment In Tanzania Name of Authors: Adetoun Olateju and Doris Chalambo Presenting author : Doris Chalambo Poster number: 2016WCC/PPAR - 2493 Track 2 Closing the gap: quality cancer treatment and diagnosis for all Abstract presented before: No Disclosure of interest: None declared
Background Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Tanzania. Annually over 7,000 new cases are diagnosed and about 4,000 deaths occur. Comprehensive cancer management is free at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in the capital city of Dar es Salaam, the only public cancer treatment facility with radiotherapy services in the country, however, women have to pay for the biopsy procedure and the associated investigations before obtaining a definite diagnosis. About 70% of the population live in rural areas, hundreds of kilometers away from the capital city thus access is limited. Many of these women cannot afford to pay the transportation fares to ORCI. These barriers result in interruptions in care and consequently poor health outcomes. Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon (PRRR) and Vodacom Tanzania Foundation are supporting a transportation grant to assist women in PRRR-supported regions to access treatment.
Aim and Strategies Generated awareness about the project by leveraging on PRRRsupported communitybased organizations and local media outlets Will start covering the associated costs of biopsy of cervical samples for confirmed diagnosis Engaged cervical cancer ambassadors residing in the Regions, cervical cancer survivors living in Dar es Salaam, social workers in the regional referral hospitals (RRH) and ORCI. Aim: Provide bus transportation fares to cover a round trip from the homes of women with confirmed invasive cervical cancer in the Regions to ORCI to obtain radiotherapy treatment Developed a selection criteria to identify eligible women based on a confirmed cancer diagnosis, stage of the disease, wellness to travel, and financial capacity. Made payments using Vodacom mobile payment platform, M- PESA Contracted select bus companies to transport women from the regions to Dar es Salaam
Program Process Identification Introduction Transportation Connection Admission Return Regional Referral Hospitals identify eligible women using a preagreed selection criteria The hospital connects the eligible women to T- MARC Tanzania and the regional cervical cancer ambassador The contracted bus companies transport the women to Dar es Salaam A cervical cancer survivor meets the women on arrival in Dar es Salaam and accompanies them to ORCI A designated social worker facilitates the admission process. Women receive the rounds of radiotherapy Women are transported back to their places of domicile
Outcomes The program started transporting women from Mbeya, Mwanza and Iringa Regions in June 2015. Four Regional cervical cancer ambassadors and champions provide the community care support. Lessons Learned The community is a true agency of change. Leveraging the strengths and resources of the community care structure, such as the cervical cancer ambassadors and champions residing in the communities resulted in locating eligible patients and ensuring their acceptance of the support. 188 women have been transported since inception till September 2016. 126 women completed the round of radiation treatment and returned to their homes. The project recently received an approved extension to 2017. The clinical management of cancer alone is not sufficient. We should take into account complimentary services and psychosocial support such as transportation and housing needs of cancer patients. Developing in-country public private partnerships is beneficial for program sustainability and contributes to improving access to cancer treatment in resource limited settings.
Contact Information: Doris Chalambo Senior Program Manager T-MARC Tanzania Email: dchalambo@tmarc.or.tz Web:www.tmarc.or.tz Dr. Adetoun Olateju Program Manager Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon Email: aolateju@pinkribbonredribbon.org Web: www.pinkribbonredribbon.org @pinkredribbon