Paris, France 30th June 2023: Revitalizing Cancer Care in Tanzania: Evaluating the Impact of the Exemplary Tanzania Comprehensive Cancer Project (TCCP)
The Steering Committee meeting of the Tanzania Comprehensive Cancer Project (TCCP) convened on 30th June 2023 in Paris, France, hosted by Institut Curie, to comprehensively review and evaluate the project’s progress. The project, implemented under the auspices of Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania, was established in 2019 and is expected to end on 31st December 2023. Institut Curie has played a pivotal role in providing technical expertise to shape the TCCP and guide its implementation, aligning with the objectives set by the project funders Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) through Aga Khan Foundation (AKF).
The Tanzania Comprehensive Cancer Project (or TCCP) was a public-private partnership established to complement Government efforts in addressing the challenges facing cancer care in Tanzania. The project aims to strengthen and expand the quality, access, and capacity of cancer care services in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza regions to improve cancer infrastructure, capacity building, community engagement, research ,and partnerships. It signifies the collective commitment and dedication of stakeholders to prioritizing cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and support, focusing on improving the continuum of cancer services across both public and private healthcare providers in Tanzania.
The Steering Committee meeting in Paris was followed by a high-level Symposium that brought together the TCCP partners including, senior representatives from the Ministry of Health, President’s Office and Ocean Road Cancer Institute, the Aga Khan Development Network and other global cancer stakeholders to discuss and showcase the TCCP’s achievements, challenges and sustainability.
Prof. Thierry Philip, President of the Board of Institut Curie Paris, welcomed the guests to the symposium and expressed his utmost delight to be part of such an innovative project. “This project is implementing an evidence-based approach/strategy that adopts the developed world standards to suit the LMIC settings. It also demonstrates that there is adequate local capacity to implement such a massive project with minimal oversight from foreign experts. Hence it is important to engage local experts to participate in project designing, implementation and sustainability”.
Speaking in the symposium, the Guest of Honour, Princess Zahra Aga Khan commented that “This project adopts a holistic approach, not only towards cancer care, prevention, and treatment but also survivorship and civil society engagement and empowerment. By focusing on the entire continuum of care for cancer, from education and awareness to palliative care, the project aims to address the diverse needs of individuals and families affected by this devastating disease. I am grateful to the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, which is represented today by Khamis Omar, Charge de Affaires, Tanzanian Embassy in France; Prof. Paschal Rugajjo from the Tanzania Ministry of Health; and Dr. Yahaya Hussein from the President’s Office. The foresight and vision you have shown in bringing us together to establish this public-private partnership focused on cancer, which is the second leading cause of death among women and the fifth leading cause of death among men in the country, is timely and remarkable.”
“I am very proud and grateful for the hard work and dedication of all my Aga Khan Development Network colleagues, especially those associated with the TCCP and the Regional Health Management Teams in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. The Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania follows an integrated approach to delivering healthcare based on a continuum of care ranging from health promotion and prevention to primary health services offered through outreach health centres to secondary-level care provided at larger medical centres and tertiary care. At each level of care, Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania, focuses on providing services needed by the community and building linkages within the local healthcare systems. The Cancer Care Centre at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam and TCCP will play an essential role in this integrated system,” further noted Princess Zahra Aga Khan.
“Prof. Paschal Rugajjo, Director of Curative Services (DCS), Ministry of Health in Tanzania assured the TCCP steering committee members of the government’s commitment to ensure that the strides achieved by the project will be sustained even beyond the project duration. Prof. Rugajjo commended AKHS, T for leading this novel Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project and implementing the project diligently and putting Tanzania on the world map in combating cancer”. He further assured the stakeholders that the upcoming Aga Khan Cancer Care Centre in Dar es Salaam will work hand-in-hand with the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) and will be accredited by the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to increase access for the population to the much-needed radiotherapy and other cancer services in the country.
Speaking at this forum, Mr. Khamis Omar, Charge de Affaire, representing the Ambassador of the Tanzanian Embassy in France noted “I am overwhelmed with joy and impressed with the tremendous achievements of the project. On behalf of my country, I truly appreciate the project partners for their commitment in realizing the project objectives and the French government and AKDN for providing the grant”. He further urged the funders and the project partners to continue to seek opportunities for funding to ensure the continuity of the project.
French Ambassador to Tanzania, HE Nabil Hajlaoui said “’TCCP is financed by France through AFD and AKDN through AKF with the goal to strengthen and expand the quality, access, and capacity of cancer care services across the cancer continuum in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza. The project success is a testament to the power harnessed through public-private partnership in combating cancer in Tanzania. The project has sensitized over 4.45m people, screened over 673,000 people and treated over 29,700 patients in the 4 years of its implementation. These achievements are phenomenon”.
Dr. Gijs Walraven, Director of Health, Aga Khan Development Network in his remarks said “Building sustainable health care infrastructures, training health care professionals, and improving access to early diagnosis, essential cancer medicines and technologies are vital steps towards reducing the burden of cancer in LMICs. International partnerships and collaborations can play a pivotal role in transferring knowledge, sharing best practices, and supporting capacity-building efforts. As such, we – as AKDN – welcome the opportunity to continue working with AFD, Institut Curie, and other like-minded organizations, as well as governments on similar programs in countries and regions where we have a footprint.”
Aga Khan Health Services is committed to upholding a quality culture within all its service delivery centres with the guiding principle to be the best, offer excellent quality services and specialized health care programmes, and remain the most significant private non-profit organisation operating under the AKDN. AKHS’s focus on enhancing access to high-quality and cost-effective healthcare through its ‘hub and spoke’ model with world-class facilities, cutting-edge technology, infrastructures, and highly trained staff has driven its continued growth over the last nine decades, which is a strong testament to the institution’s commitment to healthcare development in the United Republic of Tanzania.
About the Aga Khan Development Network & Aga Khan Health Service
Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies established by His Highness the Aga Khan, which partners with other like-minded organisations to help improve the quality of life of those in need irrespective of their origins, faith, or gender. AKDN takes a multifaceted development approach to help communities and individuals become self-reliant. AKDN programmes span a range of cultural, social, economic, and environmental endeavour. The Network also espouses a set of values and norms, which include pluralism and cultural tolerance, gender and social equity, civil society organisation and good governance. The AKDN therefore has a holistic view of progress that goes beyond poverty alleviation to encompass a more rounded view of human experience and aspirations.
Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) is one of three agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that supports activities in health care, together with the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Aga Khan University (AKU). Working to address today’s greatest health challenges in low-and-middle income countries, the three agencies of the AKDN provide high-quality, equitable healthcare to over eight million people annually and work closely on planning, training, and resource development. Through our focused presence in Central Asia, East Africa, and South Asia, AKHS operates 14 hospitals and medical centres, as well as 375+ health centres, offering one of the most comprehensive non-profit health-care systems in the developing world. AKHS also works with the Aga Khan Education Service (AKES) and the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) on the integration of health issues into other sectors.
AKHS operates in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, and Uganda, with central coordination from AKDN offices in Geneva, Switzerland. The offices are linked internationally through network-wide strategies for regional geographies, as well as topics of importance to the agency, such as quality of care, digital health, virtual learning, climate change measures, population health, communication, human resource development and audit. AKHS & AKF works together on various projects. AKF is a private, not-for-profit, non-denominational, international development agency. AKF brings together human, financial, and technical resources to address some of the challenges faced by the poorest and most marginalised communities in the world.
About the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) — Project Funding Partner
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) implements France’s policy on international development and solidarity. Through its financing of NGOs and the public sector, as well as its research and publications, AFD supports and accelerates transitions towards a fairer, more resilient world. It also provides training in sustainable development (at AFD Campus) and other awareness-raising activities in France.
With our partners, we are building shared solutions with and for the people of the Global South. Our teams are at work on more than 4,000 projects in the field, in the French Overseas Departments and Territories, in 115 countries and in regions in crisis. We strive to protect global public goods – promoting a stable climate, biodiversity, and peace, as well as gender equality, education, and healthcare. In this way, we contribute to the commitment of France and the French people to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Towards a world in common.
In Tanzania, working closely with the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, AFD’s focus has been on financing infrastructure sectors such as water and sanitation, energy, and transport. Over the past few years, AFD has broadened its scope to include health and agriculture. Over the 2008-2022 period, AFD has provided more than Euro 1 billion of financing to the country, mostly through concessional sovereign loans. This financing has already changed the lives of millions of Tanzanians: for example, 1 million people benefited from improved water services and 100,000 households from improved access to electricity thanks to AFD-funded projects.
BUGANDO MEDICAL CENTRE, is a healthcare facility and university teaching hospital for the Lake and Western zones of the United Republic of Tanzania operated by the Tanzania Episcopal Conference of the Catholic Bishops of Tanzania in collaboration with the government of the United Republic of Tanzania. It is situated along the shores of Lake Victoria in Mwanza and of P. O. Box 1370, Mwanza. Tel: +255 28 2500513 Email: info@bugandomedicalcentre.go.tz
OCEAN ROAD CANCER INSTITUTE (ORCI), a public health facility and national referral cancer centre established by Parliament of Tanzania by Act No. 2 of 1996, with its head office situated at Barack Obama Drive and of P.O. Box 3592, Dar es Salaam-Tanzania. Tel: +255 22 212 7597 Email: info@orci.or.tz.
Media contacts:
Geofrey Atanael
PR Coordinator
Geofrey.atanael@akhst.org
+255 654 540 226
https://www.agakhanhospitals.org/daressalaam
French Embassy in Tanzania
Deo BARIBWEGURE Deo
deo.baribwegure@diplomatie.gouv.fr
+255 756 736 484
https://www.afd.fr/en/page-region-pays/tanzania