The Soul Beat 206 - Non-Communicable Diseases in Africa

In this issue of The Soul Beat:

• EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY for cancer prevention and treatment...
• Stay connected to Soul Beat Africa...
• DIABETES AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS for schools and health workers...

This issue of The Soul Beat includes a selection of content from the Soul Beat Africa website that looks at how communication is being used to prevent and treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs) - particularly cancer and diabetes - in Africa. 

If you would like your organisation's communication work or research and resource documents to be featured on the Soul Beat Africa website and in The Soul Beat newsletters, please send information to soulbeat@comminit.com

To subscribe to The Soul Beat, click here or send an email to soulbeat@comminit.com with a subject of "subscribe".

PROMOTING CANCER PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

1. Cancer Advocacy Training Toolkit for Africa
(August 2012)
This toolkit is intended to be a resource to demonstrate the many ways that individuals can be involved in advocacy to help improve cancer care in Africa. Produced through a collaboration between the Africa Oxford Cancer Foundation (AfrOx), African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), it has been tailored specifically to the needs of African cancer advocates and draws on case studies and examples of successful pilots in Africa.

2. Cancer Prevention Posters for Africa
(2012)
This series of cancer prevention and awareness posters have been designed for use in Africa by AfrOx and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Developing Countries Task Force. The posters were first piloted in Ghana, and have been designed with support from the Cancer Society of Ghana, clinicians, and nurses in Ghana. The goal was to develop a template for low-cost cancer awareness and prevention programmes that can be replicated in other developing countries. The posters are designed to help improve people's understanding about the early signs of cancer and of how simple lifestyle changes can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing many cancers.

3. The LIVESTRONG® Global Cancer Campaign in South Africa
Running from May 2010 to October 2011, the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign consisted of two major efforts to fight cancer in South Africa. Led by John Snow Inc, there was a nationwide initiative to reduce the stigma associated with cancer and to raise awareness of the toll the disease takes throughout the world. By partnering with local cancer organisations and by encouraging survivors to tell their stories, LIVESTRONG worked to offer the knowledge and resources needed to confront fears and misconceptions. The second initiative was the patient empowerment initiative, which, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society and local organisations, brought together decision makers, clinicians, media, advocates, and patients to work towards a system of care that puts the patient first. This effort sought to turn statistics into stories, bring visibility to gaps in cancer control, and highlight the need for cancer to be a stronger priority on a country's health agenda.

RATE AND REVIEW OUR CONTENT!  

We would love to get your feedback on some of the knowledge shared in this newsletter. Please use the star rating system and comments form at the bottom of each content page. Your feedback will be greatly appreciated and will help us to better support your work. 

You can also send any general comments to soulbeat@comminit.com 

Please also share our knowledge by voting "Like" on any of the pages visited or by sharing the page on Twitter.

4. Coalition Building: A Cornerstone of National Advocacy, Policymaking and Effective Cervical Cancer Prevention Programs
This brief, published by Cervical Cancer Action, is designed for civil society leaders seeking to expand access to cervical cancer prevention and control resources in their communities through coalition building. According to the document, cervical cancer is unique in its relevance to a broad base of stakeholders, including cancer advocates, vaccine programme managers, individuals fighting for increased gender equity, health rights advocates, women's health advocates, physicians, infectious disease experts, and many more. These groups may or may not have worked together on other issues. Yet experience shows that successful coalition building across disciplines and professions is key to accelerating access to cervical cancer prevention and control resources.

5. Shaping a Strategy to Introduce HPV Vaccines in Uganda
Edited by Ellen Garrett (March 2009)
This document presents results from formative research from PATH's HPV Vaccines: Evidence for Impact project in Uganda. PATH is working with ministries of health and other country partners to develop strategies for introducing vaccines against human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. According to the report, effort is required to prepare health systems and communities to accept and embrace any new health technology, including new vaccines. The formative research sought to identify the health systems and policy context that will affect HPV vaccine introduction, as well as beliefs, values, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours related to cervical cancer, HPV, and vaccination. Overall, PATH found that people in diverse contexts are supportive of action to address cervical cancer, in spite of concerns and obstacles that will need to be addressed.

6. Children Caring About Cancer (3C) - Uganda
Launched in 2011, Children Caring About Cancer (3C) is a programme of the Uganda Child Cancer Foundation designed to provide a platform or forum for children and young persons to interact and form strategies and solutions to control and manage cancer in their own communities. This includes establishing cancer clubs in schools to promote awareness, and encouraging youth, cancer prevention stakeholders, and anyone interested in cancer care and prevention to become members to share strategies and ideas.

7. Advocacy Toolkit from the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
(January 2012)
This toolkit aims to respond to some of the challenges for cancer advocates in influencing change in public perception, practice, and policy. UICC created it based on the belief that "[i]t is essential that the promises made by governments in the UN [United Nations] Political Declaration on NCDs [non-communicable diseases] be turned into action for people affected by cancer. Understanding these promises, how they can be used in cancer advocacy and communicating these messages to government and the media are key to ensuring that momentum is not lost in taking action at country, regional and global levels."

[top]

STAY CONNECTED WITH SOUL BEAT AFRICA

Follow us on Twitter – @SoulBeatAfrica
Visit us on Facebook
Subscribe to our e-newsletters
Subscribe to our RSS feeds on the homepage

[top]

PROMOTING DIABETES PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

8. Diabetes: The Hidden Pandemic and Its Impact on Sub-saharan Africa
By Ayesha Motala (2010)
This briefing document was produced to increase the understanding of diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa through epidemiological evidence, health economic analyses, and examples of best practice for diabetes care and prevention. It was produced as part of the Changing Diabetes Barometer, supported by Novo Nordisk, an initiative designed to give healthcare providers and policymakers critical information to measure progress and drive change in diabetes. According to the document, along with data and care initiatives, preventive educational programmes are needed to empower and raise awareness of the impact of lifestyle; particularly for the younger generation. Providing knowledge to healthcare professionals, and the skill to inspire effective self-care in their patients, is also a vital part of the solution.

9. Mobile Diabetes Education and Care - Nigeria
Running from August 2010 to November 2012, the Mobile Diabetes Education and Care project is working to improve awareness of diabetes and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their common risk factors, as well as improve diabetes care in 20 rural communities in Lagos State of Nigeria. Health Matters Incorporated (HMI) is implementing this project in collaboration with the Diabetes Association of Nigeria and with technical expertise from Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

10. HealthKick: A Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention for Primary Schools in Low-income Settings
By Catherine E. Draper, Anniza de Villiers, Estelle V. Lambert, Jean Fourie, Jillian Hill, Lucinda Dalais, Zulfa Abrahams, and Nelia P. Steyn (July 2010)
This journal article, published by BMC Public Health, shares the experience of HealthKick, a South African school-based nutrition and physical activity intervention in primary schools designed to reduce diabetes risk factors. This study highlights the key role that educators play in implementing a school-based intervention, but adds that developing capacity within school staff and stakeholders is not a simple or easy task.

11. Diabetes Education Training Manual for Sub Saharan Africa
(2006)
This training manual, published by the International Diabetes Federation, was produced to develop a standard diabetes education curriculum to improve the quality of diabetes care in Sub-Saharan Africa. The manual includes four modules, which were produced for dissemination to diabetes educators, who would subsequently disseminate their knowledge and expertise at local level.

12. Creating Diabetes Prevention Campaign - Malawi
Running from February 2011 to May 2014, the Creating Diabetes Prevention project, initiated by Journalists Association Against AIDS, is working to create awareness and increase access to information on the prevention and care of diabetes and its complications. By using a media campaign, training for journalists, and outreach activities, this project is seeking to create knowledge about diabetes, its control, and prevention among the general public, non-governmental organisations, health workers, and policy makers.

13. Diabetes Community and School Outreach Project - Tanzania
Running from September 2009 to June 2012, this project's objective is to improve diabetes prevention and care by integrating school, community, and health facility approaches to prevention, detection, treatment, and rehabilitative care. The project focuses on training teachers and health care workers, initiating school-based health clubs, and conducting community screening and awareness campaigns.

14. Diabetes Agents for Change Project - South Africa
Launched in April 2009, the Agents for Change project is working to improve diabetes care and management by changing attitudes and improving skills among health care professionals in South Africa. Implemented by Diabetes South Africa (DSA) Outreach Programme Agents for Change and the Department of Health, the project seeks to utilise health workers as change agents by using their health profile as a starting point for changing attitudes and behaviours towards diabetes patients.

15. Step-by-Step Diabetes Foot Care Project - Tanzania
The Step-by-Step Diabetes Foot Care project was designed to improve diabetes foot care by building capacity of health care providers to identify early warning signs and undertake treatment, as well as increase patient awareness' for early self-diagnosis. This included training health workers and producing educational videos and print materials. The first phase of the project ran from November 2003 to January 2008 in Tanzania and India; the second phase from February 2008 to February 2012, led by Muhimbili University College of Health Science in Tanzania.

[top]

THE SOUL BEAT E-NEWSLETTER ARCHIVES

To view ALL past editions of The Soul Beat e-newsletter, click here.

Please send material for The Soul Beat to soulbeat@comminit.com

If you have not received the most recent edition of The Soul Beat and you are definitely subscribed, it may be that your mailbox is protected by spam filters. Please add soulbeat@comminit.com to your email address book, spam software whitelist, or mail system whitelist.
 
To subscribe to The Soul Beat, click here or send an email to soulbeat@comminit.com with a subject of "subscribe".