Accra, Feb. 6, GNA – Merck Foundation as part of the World Cancer Day celebration together with African First Ladies has offered scholarships to 140 oncology doctors in 28 African countries.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the offer was to help build the cancer care capacity, increase the limited number of oncologists and develop multidisciplinary cancer care teams across the continent.
The countries are the Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Malawi, Nigeria, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and Gabon.
Others are South Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tanzania.
World Cancer Day held annually on February 4, is a global initiative led by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to raise worldwide awareness, share knowledge and catalyse personal, collective and government action.
It is to ensure that institutions work together to reimagine a world where millions of cancer deaths are prevented and access to life-saving cancer treatment and care is equitable for all.
The theme for the 2024 World Cancer Day campaign “Close the Care Gap”, seeks to unite voices for action.
Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej, the Chief Executive Officer of Merck Foundation, said: “We mark World Cancer Day together with Africa’s First Ladies, not just on a specific day, but every day and every year through transforming and advancing cancer care in Africa by enhancing professional capacity and improving access to high-quality and equitable cancer care throughout the continent.”
It said Merck Foundation in total had provided more than 1700 scholarships to doctors from over 50 countries in 42 critical and underserved medical specialties
The Merck Foundation Cancer Access Programme, launched in 2016, provides one, two- and three-year fellowship, post graduate diploma and master’s degree of oncology for doctors from Africa, and conduct clinical training in India, Egypt and Kenya.
Additionally, Merck Foundation provides scholarships for two years online PG Diploma in Cancer and Clinical Oncology, one-year online diploma programmes in Medical Oncology, Pain Management from reputed Universities in UK like University of South Wales, University of Buckingham, Queen Mary University of London, Cardiff University and The University of Edinburgh.
The statement said the Foundation through its Cancer Access Programme had already provided 141 scholarships for Oncology doctors from 28 African countries.
“In some of these countries, there was not even a single Oncologist, therefore, we are proud that we are making history in Africa through training the first Oncologists and First Cancer Care teams in many countries such as; The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger.”
It said Merck Foundation was committed to leading Africa to a better future through transforming the landscape of cancer care.
Dr. Mahamat Saleh Mahamat Baldass, Merck Foundation Oncology Alumni from Chad, expressing appreciation to Merck Foundation, highlighted how the training programme had benefitted him and two others.
“The training I received has helped me in treating cancer patients in my country. These patients would have travelled abroad for treatment (often very expensive), or simply give up hope of living.”
Dr. Sylvestre Bazikamwe, Merck Foundation Alumni from Burundi, said: “I have completed one-year Fellowship in Gynae-Oncology from the prestigious Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai, offered to me by Merck Foundation.
“I am now working towards a new Gynae-Oncology operating room and I’m also training my entire team so, that we can offer various surgical treatments at the earliest possible time.”
GNA