Primary healthcare workers and pediatric cancer care in selected Sub-Saharan African countries

Disparities in pediatric cancer survival between high- and low/middle-income countries are persistent and have been attributed to various complex and interplaying factors. Trained primary healthcare workers have the potential to increase early detection, reduce delays in referral for diagnostic and therapeutic intervention, and eliminate treatment interruptions and abandonment. Despite the crucial role they play in the healthcare ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), integration of primary healthcare workers into pediatric cancer care has so far been limited. This review is an exploration of the status of primary healthcare workers in pediatric cancer care within sub-Saharan African countries.

We searched for subject headings using databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, EMBASE and African Journals Online. The reference list of papers was further searched to identify other relevant papers. A total of 67 articles were identified of which 48 remained after removing duplicates. Studies were included if they evaluated community or primary care workers and pediatric or childhood cancer. Reviews, non-English articles, and other papers that did not evaluate the subjects in our topic were excluded. A final total of five articles were eligible to be included in this review.

Our findings show that there are very few studies reporting on primary healthcare workers and their potential role in increasing the early detection of pediatric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. We noted that existing literature documenting training initiatives for PHCWs predominantly report knowledge improvements post-intervention.

Training primary healthcare workers can improve their ability to promptly identify and refer children suspected to have cancer for specialist evaluation and treatment. We recommend the implementation of comprehensive training program for PHC workers in order to improve early diagnosis and treatment outcomes of pediatric cancer in the region.