MephidA e.V., Enhancing Radiotherapy Service and Cancer Care in Low-Resource Countries

Ow and middle-income countries (LMIC) have only 5% resources but account for up to 80% global cancer burden, with patients mostly diagnosed with cancer at their late stages. Radiotherapy, which has been identified to benefit up to 50% of cancer patients with either a curative intent or palliative end-point, remains inaccessible to over 90% of patients in LMIC. This disparity of cancer treatment access results from lack of infrastructural and financial resources, trained medical and technical professionals, training programs, geopolitical and economic instabilities, and lack of sustainability. In order to tackle these issues from the base, cultural and behavioural barriers must be broken to enable practicable cancer preventive measures through lifestyle as well as encouraging early diagnosis and participation in screening and immunization programs. Medical physicists in diaspora for Africa (MephidA e.V.) is a non-profit organization aimed at turning the brain-drain to brain-gain with vantage from the diversity of the professions of its members made up of experts in medical physics, radiation oncology, information technology, journalism, etc. Our activities encompass: Keywords: Radiotherapy; LMIC; Brain drain to Brain gain; Networking; MephidA e.V. 1. Organizing and distributing donated medical equipment in adherence with WHO recommendations. 2. Consulting in establishing radiotherapy departments by promoting up-to-standard treatment delivery techniques and the use of innovative electric power solutions such as solar energy. 3. Use of information communication techniques (ICTs) to facilitate tele-diagnosis, help in treatment, education and training. 4. Reconnecting and assisting professionals trained abroad to return and deliver cancer care in Africa. 5. Collaborating with partners and stakeholders to catalyze cancer care via basic training in forums, as well as developing and establishing accredited teaching courses to train professionals at high educational institutions. As co-organizers of the Global Health Catalyst Summit in Harvard, we identify the event as a unique platform to network and gain more partners in the quest towards closing disparities in cancer access world-wide. Several challenges lie ahead but with MephidA e.V, we hope to address these issues.