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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review
BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disruptions in the delivery and utilisation of cancer services. The impact of these interruptions is disproportionately borne by low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There are speculations of increased late-stag...
Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
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Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
International Society of Global Health
2023
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Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10656081/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37976409 http://dx.doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.06048 |
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author | Rine, Sarah Lara, Shana T Bikomeye, Jean C Beltrán-Ponce, Sara Kibudde, Solomon Niyonzima, Nixon Lawal, Olatunji O Mulamira, Pius Beyer, Kirsten MM |
author_facet | Rine, Sarah Lara, Shana T Bikomeye, Jean C Beltrán-Ponce, Sara Kibudde, Solomon Niyonzima, Nixon Lawal, Olatunji O Mulamira, Pius Beyer, Kirsten MM |
author_sort | Rine, Sarah |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disruptions in the delivery and utilisation of cancer services. The impact of these interruptions is disproportionately borne by low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There are speculations of increased late-stage presentation and mortality as services are returning to the pre-pandemic state. This review aims to explore the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted cancer services across SSA and to identify innovations implemented across SSA to mitigate the impacts. METHODS: Using database-specific search strategies, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Ovid (MedLine), Web of Science, and African Index Medicus. Eligible studies included original research, reports, perspectives and summaries of national or regional outcomes published in the English language. The primary outcome was changes in the delivery and utilisation of cancer prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services. The secondary outcome was to identify implemented innovations to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on service delivery. RESULTS: Out of the 167 articles identified in the literature search, 46 were included in the synthesis. A majority (95.7%) of the included articles described suspension and/or delay of screening, diagnosis, and treatment services, although two studies (4.3%) described the continuation of services despite the lockdown. Care was additionally impacted by transportation limitations, shortages of staff and personal protective equipment, disruption of the medication supply chain and patients’ fears and stigma associated with contracting COVID-19. A major innovation was the use of telemedicine and virtual platforms for patient consultation and follow-up during the pandemic in SSA. Furthermore, drones and mobile applications were used for sample collection, medication delivery and scheduling of treatment. In some instances, medication routes and treatment protocols were changed. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery and utilisation of cancer services decreased substantially during the pandemic. Cancer centres initiated innovative methods of care delivery, including telehealth and drone use, with long-term potential to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on service delivery. Cancer centres in SSA must explore sustainable, facility or country-specific innovations as services return to the pre-pandemic state. REGISTRATION: The review was registered in PROSPERO with registration number CRD42022351455. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-10656081 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2023 |
publisher | International Society of Global Health |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-106560812023-11-17 The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review Rine, Sarah Lara, Shana T Bikomeye, Jean C Beltrán-Ponce, Sara Kibudde, Solomon Niyonzima, Nixon Lawal, Olatunji O Mulamira, Pius Beyer, Kirsten MM J Glob Health Articles BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused disruptions in the delivery and utilisation of cancer services. The impact of these interruptions is disproportionately borne by low- and middle-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There are speculations of increased late-stage presentation and mortality as services are returning to the pre-pandemic state. This review aims to explore the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic impacted cancer services across SSA and to identify innovations implemented across SSA to mitigate the impacts. METHODS: Using database-specific search strategies, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Ovid (MedLine), Web of Science, and African Index Medicus. Eligible studies included original research, reports, perspectives and summaries of national or regional outcomes published in the English language. The primary outcome was changes in the delivery and utilisation of cancer prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up services. The secondary outcome was to identify implemented innovations to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on service delivery. RESULTS: Out of the 167 articles identified in the literature search, 46 were included in the synthesis. A majority (95.7%) of the included articles described suspension and/or delay of screening, diagnosis, and treatment services, although two studies (4.3%) described the continuation of services despite the lockdown. Care was additionally impacted by transportation limitations, shortages of staff and personal protective equipment, disruption of the medication supply chain and patients’ fears and stigma associated with contracting COVID-19. A major innovation was the use of telemedicine and virtual platforms for patient consultation and follow-up during the pandemic in SSA. Furthermore, drones and mobile applications were used for sample collection, medication delivery and scheduling of treatment. In some instances, medication routes and treatment protocols were changed. CONCLUSIONS: The delivery and utilisation of cancer services decreased substantially during the pandemic. Cancer centres initiated innovative methods of care delivery, including telehealth and drone use, with long-term potential to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on service delivery. Cancer centres in SSA must explore sustainable, facility or country-specific innovations as services return to the pre-pandemic state. REGISTRATION: The review was registered in PROSPERO with registration number CRD42022351455. International Society of Global Health 2023-11-17 /pmc/articles/PMC10656081/ /pubmed/37976409 http://dx.doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.06048 Text en Copyright © 2023 by the Journal of Global Health. All rights reserved. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. |
spellingShingle | Articles Rine, Sarah Lara, Shana T Bikomeye, Jean C Beltrán-Ponce, Sara Kibudde, Solomon Niyonzima, Nixon Lawal, Olatunji O Mulamira, Pius Beyer, Kirsten MM The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title_full | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title_fullStr | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title_full_unstemmed | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title_short | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review |
title_sort | impact of the covid-19 pandemic on cancer care including innovations implemented in sub-saharan africa: a systematic review |
topic | Articles |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10656081/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37976409 http://dx.doi.org/10.7189/jogh.13.06048 |
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