SPECIFIC TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION INCLUDE:

• Strategies for addressing barriers to women’s cancer prevention and treatment access in country including awareness, lack of health workforce, infrastructure and capacities and lack of a holistic solution for cancer care.
• Steps for augmenting the role of the female health workforce in expanding access to cancer care for breast and cervical cancers.
• Models for leveraging catalytic funding to empower and equip women to obtain additional oncology skills training and other opportunities for expanding the female oncology health workforce.
• Strategies and approaches for leveraging technologies and innovation including identifying, developing and deploying innovations to expand access for cancer care and improved efficiencies along the patient pathway (including POC diagnosis, treatment, surgical care etc.).
• Developing and expanding existing structures, such as community health workers to increase screening and referral for women’s cancers.
• Development of innovative financing models that could be used to address women’s cancer care and/or promote women’s training in oncology, thereby expanding employment and economic growth for women.
• Recommendations for data and metrics that will provide critical insight on whether the combined approach of addressing health and economic empowerment has had a positive impact on women seeking and receiving cancer services,

DELIVERABLES

• Expert recommendations for a metrics implementation plan that will be tested with pilots in two sites.
• Case studies to highlight key approaches for strengthening the female oncology workforce and building oncology care capacity.
• Tested innovations that are effective in expanding prevention, early detection, treatment, cure and care for cancer in select countries and a standardized toolkit for cancer care available for expansion to other countries.
• Launch of a network of women influencers in Africa including female heads of state/government, Ministers (health, finance, gender, innovation etc), private sector leaders, media and public influencers committed to expanding cancer care in Africa.