Tanzania Installs Africa’s First High Class Cancer Treatment Equipment

#A future without fear of cancer looms

By Clive Cameroun, New York

TANZANIA yet again becomes Africa’s first nation to install high class cancer diagnostic and treatment in the continent that is threatened by a sharp increase of cancer cases.  

Today, cancer in Africa kills more than 60 per cent of people in Africa, more than those that succumb to malaria. The bad news is that cancer deaths continue to rise at an alarming rate.

Tanzania’s President John Magufuli could not stand this loss. In just three years in power, he shook up the health sector for incredible improvements, cancer treatment being one of the targets.

He oversaw the Health Ministry purchase the Linear Accelerator (LINAC) and CT Simulator, the most efficient cancer care and treatment machines currently in the market, the first ever in Africa.

The equipment was launched by Tanzania’s Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam recently.

President Magufuli is determined to see all referral hospitals in his East African nation of Tanzania had such equipment in improving service provision. Patient congestion at ORCI was reduced.

Jean-Luc Devleeschauwer, President of the US-based Oncology Systems for Varian Medical Systems who installed the equipment says Tanzania is Africa’s first country to install the cancer machines.

With such machines, Tanzania is set to have a future with people without fear of cancer,” he says.

Cost of the Equipment

The first ever, state-of-the art cancer care and treatment equipment cost TSh. 9.5bn. President Magufuli, recognized the threat of cancer faced by Tanzanians hence decided to raise health budget from TSh 790m in 2015 to TSh 7 billion in 2016.

Low budgets in healthcare has been a characterized most African countries calling for poor access to appropriate cancer handling.

The reformist President, known for “goal finisher” across the planning spectrum,ensured the availability of medicines at ORCI improved from four (4) per cent in 2015 when he came to power to 95 per cent today.

                          The Situation in other African countries

In fact, over 20 per cent of many African countries, their people do not have access to cancer treatments at all, while access is limited and sporadic in other countries, not in Tanzania. Healthcare in Tanzania increasingly become a success story since 2015.

“Every cancer patient has a supply guarantee of the medication prescribed by the doctor, this has reduced patients complaints we experienced three years ago,” says Daudi Maneno, ORCI Planning Director.

Five years ago (2014), health expenditures per capita in sub-Saharan Africa amounted to only US$98, almost 100 times less than the United States. 

Further, only 5% of global funding for cancer prevention and control is spent in Africa and other low- and middle-income regions, yet these regions are home to 65% of cancer deaths and 75% of premature deaths due to cancer.

                        Cancer situation in Tanzania

According to a report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer patients (IARC), in September 2018, Tanzania had 42,000 cancer patients. The report indicates that 28,610 of the patients die every year.

“The problem is that almost 75 per cent of the patients come here when the disease has reached its last stages hence making efforts to treat and cure it complicated,” says VP Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Given that 80 per cent of cancer patients in Tanzania needed radiotherapy, President Magufuli’s Government decided to strengthen the availability of the services in the country.

Installation of the equipment is likely to save TSh. 7.5bn. per year from Indian referrals. Close to 300 patients were being referred to India for treatment, spending over TSH50m a patient.

This is another milestone that goes without mentioning but impacts upon the longevity of Tanzanians.

First Sub Saharan Country for Essential Medications

Tanzania has been recognized by WHO as the first country in Sub Saharan Africa to stock up essential drugs in its hospitals.

The Medical Stores Department (MSD) is the Government’s supply of all medical consumables. The department has improved its performance to set high level standards in Africa. 

MSD, therefore, won WHO’s recognition as the first country in Africa in adequacy of essential medicines in shelves. By all standards, this is a huge improvement.

Extending a Pan Africanist Hand

ORCI has also been extending its healing hand to other sister countries of east Africa and beyond. The Centre also trained cadres from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Comoro and Nigeria.

This training achievement has been possible through ORCI links with Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Copenhagen University and the University of San Francisco.

With impressive performance encouraged by the fifth phase Government under President Magufuli, ORCI envisages to becoming East Africa’s regional center of excellence in oncology studies. 

This article is written by Clive Cameron, an oncology researcher and writer based in New York.