Strengthening Cancer Services
Closing Date: Monday, 19 June 2023
The National Cancer Strategic Framework 2017 – 2022 reflects the country's commitment to reduce the burden of cancer amongst all its citizens. South Africa has struggled to provide services for effective cancer prevention, treatment, and care. Children and adults alike often present at advanced stages of disease. Hence, increasing cancer incidence, high mortality rates, severe morbidity among cancer survivors, and unequal access to cancer prevention, treatment, and care remain critical challenges in South Africa. This burden is exacerbated among communities who are also faced with poverty, disadvantage and inequitable access to health services more generally. The COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated pre-existing inequities in cancer care.
The editors of the 2023 South African Health Review (SAHR) invite the submission of abstracts that investigate the successes, challenges and gaps in cancer treatment and care within the South African healthcare system.
This first issue devoted exclusively to cancer will focus on acquiring a deeper understanding of the systemic cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment challenges in South Africa. It seeks to also enable the sharing of innovations, strategies and lessons that may increase community engagement, health literacy, timely presentation, and improve treatment completion and wellness.
Abstracts that focus on cancer prevention, screening, and early diagnosis at community level, access to quality surgery and oncology therapies, and rehabilitation, community re-integration, and palliative care systems are encouraged.
Preference will be given to abstracts that:
- examine the successes, challenges, and shortfalls of the 2017-2022 National Cancer Strategic Framework;
- examine innovations and learnings emerging from the current management of cancer services within the public and private health sector that will improve access and lead to better outcomes;
- explore lessons learned and recommendations on how to integrate cancer interventions with other key public health programmes;
- share patient-relevant measures, approaches and innovations in cancer care that strengthen community level services that lead to increased patient satisfaction, reduced inequalities and better treatment completion.
Please take note of the following:
- The body of the abstract may not exceed 300 words.
- To submit an abstract, please use our online template (https://forms.gle/9tVKZtHYdaoFxnj26)
- Submission of an abstract for the SAHR does not guarantee acceptance. All abstracts will undergo a systematic selection process.
For more information visit: www.hst.org.za or contact sahr@hst.org.za
Deadline for abstract submissions: 19 June 2023
The South African Health Review is a peer-reviewed publication accredited with the Department of Higher Education and Training. The aims of the SAHR are to advance the sharing of the knowledge, feature critical commentary on policy implementation, and offer empirical studies for improving South Africa's health system.
For more information visit: www.hst.org.za or contact sahr@hst.org.za
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