Sharing best practices in breast cancer control

UICC’s Project ECHO® for breast cancer control began this week with organisations from 20 LMICs across the world. Their projects cover a range of issues focused on improving breast cancer control and patient outcomes.

UICC received 51 applications from breast cancer-focused organisations interested in participating in the new Project ECHO for Knowledge Summaries for Comprehensive Breast Cancer Control, which is led by UICC, together with the NCI Center for Global Health and the Breast Health Global Initiative.

Following the selection process, some 120 individuals from 25 organisations in 20 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) were invited to join the 2020-2021 Project ECHO cohort, which will run until May 2021. Applications were assessed against a range of criteria, including quality, relevance with the respect to the Project ECHO curriculum, regional diversity and potential for impact.

Participants met virtually for the first time on the 12th November. They represent a diverse range of organisations, from regional hospitals, patient groups, ministries of health, universities and cancer associations. All work hand-in-hand with other key stakeholders in their countries to address breast cancer and bring concrete solutions to support the breast cancer patients with which they work.

Each organisation is represented on the Project ECHO course by three to four team members responsible for developing and delivering a specific breast cancer-focused project. Working together in teams and learning from like-minded peers, participants will learn how to apply the Knowledge Summaries on Breast Cancer Control to their project and respective settings over a period of six months.

The selected projects for the course cover a range of issues. More than half include a focus on early detection, 25% on improving access to treatment and 15% concentrate on palliative and supportive care. Specific topics include improving patient pathways in Botswana; expanding access to genetic testing in Brazil; improving early detection in Lebanon through workshops on self-examination promoted nationally on TV and radio; and increasing access to medicines in the Philippines. The full list of projects is provided below.

When asked to articulate their expectations of this ECHO course in a orientation call conducted early October, participants expressed their will to “improve the quality of care for breast cancer treatment at a regional level”, to “learn what will make our work more effective”, to “exchange knowledge beyond borders”, and to “learn as much from fellow participants". This matches UICC’s ambitions for the course and for the new cohort of breast cancer professionals.

The Project ECHO on breast cancer control is part of UICC’s Breast Cancer Programme, supported by Pfizer, Daiichi-Sankyo, the NCI Center for Global Health and the Breast Health Global Initiative, and contributes to the goals of the Breast Cancer Initiative 2.5.

List of projects selected to participate in UICC’s Project ECHO on breast cancer control

Country	Organisation	Title of the project
Botswana	University of Botswana	Demonstration of a Scalable Breast Health Care Pathway: Experience from Botswana
Brazil	FEMAMA	Expanding Access to Genetic and Genomic Tests in Cancer in Brazil
Brazil	Hospital de Base – FUNFARME	Implementation of an Institutional Database on Breast Cancer Unit to Support and Guidance of Assistance Planning and Qualification of Health Care
Burkina Faso	Ligue Burkinabè Contre le Cancer du Sein (LIBUCAS)	Social Reinsertion of Women who underwent Mastectomy for Breast Cancer
Burundi	Ministry of Health	Sensitisation of Political and Administrative Authorities on the Value of Early Breast Cancer Screening
Egypt	Shefaa Al Orman Oncology Hospital	Early Detection of Breast Cancer Based on Genetic Screening of Familial Cancers
El Salvador	Fundación Edificando Vidas, El Salvador	Strengthening our Services with Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis, and Developing an Impact Campaign for the Defense of Patients
El Salvador	ASAPRECAN	Initiative against Breast Cancer in El Salvador
Georgia	Georgian-Dutch Hospital; Georgian Patients' Union	Women Programme: Access to Breast Cancer Screening and Patient’s Rehabilitation after Treatment
India	Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Center, Tata Memorial Center	Building and Implementing Strategies for Comprehensive Breast Cancer Care in East India
India	Max Superspecialty Hospital Vaishali	Breast Cancer Awareness & Reducing Delay in Presentation and Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
Indonesia	The Indonesia Breast Cancer Foundation	Promoting Self Breast Examination and Clinical Breast Examination in Indonesia
Indonesia	Rumah Sakit Kanker Dharmais, National Cancer Center	Patient’s Breast Cancer Management Time
Ivory Coast	Programme National de Lutte contre le Cancer	National Strategic Planning against Breast Cancer
Jordan	King Hussein Cancer Foundation	Breast Cancer Early Detection project
Kenya	International Cancer Institute	Education and Training of Front-line Health Care Providers to improve Early Detection of Breast Cancer
Kuwait	Fadia Survive & Thrive Cancer Association	Supporting Critically Ill breast cancer patients with Dedicated Advocacy Campaigns and Training
Lebanon	The Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation	Patient Empowerment Workshop
Malaysia	MAKNA	MAKNA Digital Mobile Mammogram Unit
Mexico	Fundación CIMA	Educational Model "CIMA"
Myanmar	Pun Yaung Hnin Si (Pink Rose) Breast Cancer Patients Support Group	“You Can Breast Health Club”: Empowering Healthy Women of Myanmar to Enhance Breast Cancer Awareness and to Take Action
Namibia	Cancer Association of Namibia	Early Detection: Breast Health Awareness and Clinical Breast Examination
Nigeria	Medicaid Cancer Foundation	Community Awareness Creation and Training of Healthcare Workers in Kebbi State
Nigeria	Run For a Cure Africa	The Pink Ed Project for Early Breast Cancer Detection in Nigeria
Philippines	Ministry of Health	Breast Cancer Medicine Access Programme

Tags Breast Cancer Project ECHO Capacity Building

Last update

Friday 22 October 2021