Strategic Plan

Research Strategic Plan

Goals

  1. Develop a strong research agenda that will impact cancer outcomes in Africa.
  2. Develop a model to raise and provide research funding for African investigators.
  3. Establish and extend research infrastructure, collaborations, resources for research capacity building based on existing resources within and outside Africa.
  4. Foster the dissemination of African cancer research through scientific conferences, peer-reviewed journals, traditional media and social media.
  5. Establish strategies to improve cancer research through diverse Special Interest Groups (SIGs), including: advocacy, data science, cancer epidemiology, clinical trials, psycho-oncology, health outcomes and behaviour.

Workgroups

  1. Research agenda
  2. Research Funding
  3. Research Infrastructure, Collaboration and Resources
  4. Research Dissemination
  5. Special Interest Groups



Research

Reducing the burden of cancer in African populations requires that we apply current available scientific knowledge in treating, screening, and preventing cancers. Scientific research and new intervention strategies will be required to determine how best to intervene in low-resource countries and communities. Results from African-based studies will have broad public health and policy implications for African people.

Adequate numbers of trained oncologists and other health care professionals, oncology nurses, radiotherapists, pathologists and technical staff are critical members of the health care team and are needed to help within-country efforts to develop effective cancer control programs. Continuing medical education training for health care workers and public health information and dissemination programs will be required.

Strategies are needed in the health system workforce to reverse the “brain-drain” of health care professionals, scientists, and technical support workers from Africa to developed countries. Unchanged: Strategies are needed in the health system workforce to reverse the “brain-drain” of health care professionals, scientists, and technical support workers from Africa to developed countries.

The initial focus of research will be on cancers outlined in AORTIC’s strategic plan. An evaluation program will be put into place to ascertain the level and degree to which specific goals and objectives are accomplished. Collaborations with African-based and international organizations, NGOs and businesses will be central to the success of these efforts and will be pursued.