We will observe World Cancer Day on Wednesday, February 4th. The day presents a unique opportunity to focus on positive and proactive approaches to the fight against cancer. This year, the day highlights that solutions do exist across the continuum of cancer, and those solutions are within our reach – cancer is not beyond us.
At Health Volunteers Overseas, we have focused our efforts in global cancer care on the human resources needed to address the growing burden of this disease around the globe. We know that people are at the heart of the fight – nurses, physicians, lab technicians, rehabilitation providers and other health care personnel – are key to diagnosing, fighting, and preventing this disease on the ground. Partnering with the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology, we recruit experts in cancer diagnosis, treatment and prevention to teach and train their colleagues in resource-scarce countries.
As the burden of cancer grows in resource-scarce nations, health systems need trained staff to care for the growing number of cancer patients. The focus is on providing local physician with the knowledge and skills they need. As one HVO volunteer in gynecologic oncology observed of HVO’s project in Honduras:
One week is a short time and no volunteer should have the expectation that they will significantly impact individual Honduran women encountered in the hospital and clinics. Rather, one should view the trip as having an emphasis on education, and try to contribute to the knowledge of these surgical oncology residents, who are going to graduate, stay in Honduras, and be taking care of women with gynecologic cancer. We are best suited to contribute to their knowledge so that THEY can best serve the women of Honduras. With this expectation, one can feel more satisfaction with what can be accomplished in one week.
With the training and professional support of HVO volunteers, providers in resource-scarce countries like Honduras have the opportunity to effectively treat the growing number of cancer patients and take steps to achieve early detection and prevention. Cancer is not beyond local providers in resource-scarce countries, but we need to work together to fight this disease on all fronts.
Find out how you can get involved with HVO’s efforts in cancer care – become a volunteer or support our work.