Recognition case studies

Joining the Young Leaders’ global programme as a career accelerator for more impact in own setting

Dr Christian Ntizimira from Rwanda joining the UICC Young Leaders Programme and inspired novel ways to think about implementing projects in his own country. Christian was a Masters Candidate at the Harvard Medical School/Global Health & Social Medicine when he applied for the Young Leaders programme. Now he is the Executive Secretary a.i of Rwanda Palliative Care & Hospice Organisation (RPCHO) and former Director of Kibagabaga District Hospital in Kigali (2010-2013).

Dr Ntizimira is a Researcher Collaborator at Harvard Global Equity Initiative - Lancet Commission on Global Access to Pain Control and Palliative Care (GAPPCP). He is a 2015-2017 African Cancer Leaders Institute Fellow and member of the African Organisation for Research & Training in Cancer (AORTIC). Dr Ntizimira holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from the National University of Rwanda and received his palliative medicine training at Harvard Medical School.

Dr Christian Nitizimira was selected as a UICC Young Leader in 2016. He was part of this unique opportunity for networking with professionals working in the field, expanded professional networks, for building collaborations and developing research projects. But mostly for the honour and external recognition related to the Young Leader title and the prestige that comes with it.

Today, Christian is recognised for pioneering the integration of end of life care into health services rendered to Rwandan patients with chronic illnesses in acute care and community settings. His experience working in the global health space, through his researcher collaborator at Harvard Global Equity Initiative and through the Young Leaders Programme has changed the path of his career.

"It was a great honour and privilege to be selected as a UICC Young Leader and it felt like the recognition of the important role of palliative care in humane cancer care. I had the opportunity to meet leaders and stakeholders from all over the world whom I wouldn’t be able to meet otherwise. My conversations with them gave me a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges of being a leader, and its impact from the local to global level. I also met other UICC Young Leaders and we exchanged our varied experiences in cancer prevention, control and treatment, and our ongoing projects. The programme provided exposure to different cultures, ideas and opportunities that helped me understand new perspectives and the wonderful solutions adapted in different settings. I learnt a lot from the fellow Young Leaders and they inspired me to think of novel ways to implement projects. I was inspired to set up a local ‘Kigali Palliative Care Network’ which brings together all hospitals located in Kigali to work collectively and offers humane cancer care. My broader understanding helped structure this network in an optimal way to refer our patients, share information on different types of cancer and available treatment."

The young Leader’s Programme is supported by Roche, which collaborates with the UICC to drive more cancer control around the world and prepare the future generations of leaders to take up the fight against cancer.

Last update

Wednesday 24 June 2020

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