An Insight into the Current Status of the Radiotherapy Landscape in Africa: A Cross-sectional Survey Study on the Available Infrastructure and Human Resources

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Published Nov 29, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i11.5749

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Main Article Content

Abba Mallum
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4000 South Africa. ; Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa.; School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
Wilbert Sibanda
Department of Health Sciences, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, 6031, South Africa
Maureen Bilinga Tendwa
South Africa Health Product Regulatory
John M. Akudugu
Division of Radiobiology, Department of Medical Imaging and Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg 7505, South Africa.
Wilfred Ngwa
School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. ;  Brigham and Women’s Hospital Dana-Farmer Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
L. Incrocci
Department of Radiotherapy, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Mariza Vorster
Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban 4091, South Africa. ; Department of Nuclear Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4000, South Africa.

Abstract

Radiotherapy infrastructure and human capital are crucial for effective cancer control, yet their availability in Africa remains severely limited. This study addresses this critical gap in knowledge by providing a comprehensive assessment of radiotherapy resources across the continent.  A cross-sectional descriptive web-based survey was conducted using the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) system, a secure and validated online survey platform. The survey questionnaires which adhered to Content Relevance, Order, Source, and style were disseminated via email and WhatsApp to a representative sample of health professionals in 54 African countries. Data was collected through the REDCap survey while descriptive statistical methods were employed to analyze the data. In this study, 25 countries (46.3%) participated, revealing a distribution of 43 Linear Accelerators (LINAC) and 18 Cobalt-60 machines. Southern Africa (30.2%) and North Africa (30.2%) led in LINAC availability, while East Africa (38.8%) had a higher representation of Cobalt-60 machines. The healthcare practitioner distribution across Africa highlighted that the majority (35.3%) had less than four years of experience, with a minority (21.9%) having approximately 11-20 years of experience. A smaller percentage (6.0%) had over 20 years of experience, and the fewest individuals were still in training (5.0%). Most countries recorded over 20 newly diagnosed breast, cervical, and prostate cancer patients per month. North Africa had the highest proportion of practitioners administering the highest fractional dose (8.0 – 12.0 Gy). Notably, Cameroon had the longest waiting time (10.4±7.6 weeks), while South Africa had the shortest waiting time (4.0±3.0 weeks). The scarcity of radiotherapy machines and human resources in Africa is apparent, potentially leading to prolonged waiting times for patients before treatment initiation, particularly given the high incidence of more than 20 newly diagnosed patients per month in most countries. This survey underscores the urgent need to address identified gaps to improve access to both radiotherapy and human resources across the continent.

Keywords: Human capacity, Radiotherapy infrastructure, Survey, LINAC, Cobalt-60

Article Details

How to Cite
MALLUM, Abba et al. An Insight into the Current Status of the Radiotherapy Landscape in Africa: A Cross-sectional Survey Study on the Available Infrastructure and Human Resources. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 11, nov. 2024. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5749>. Date accessed: 12 dec. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i11.5749.
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Issue
Vol 12 No 11 (2024): November Issue, Issue 11, VOl.12
Section
Research Articles

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