Objectives

Cancer Kitso: Designed for This Moment

Continuing education for health care providers is a feasible tool that has proven effective in improving care delivery around the world. Cancer Kitso: Clinical Management of the Common Cancers is an oncology provider training initiative for non-oncology health care professionals in sub-Saharan Africa. Kitso means “knowledge” in Setswana, a local language in the sub-Saharan African country of Botswana.

The Cancer Kitso concept is based on KITSO AIDS, a national workforce development program that was launched in the late 1990s in Botswana, when that country had the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in the world. The success of KITSO AIDS led to its adoption by multiple other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Today, KITSO AIDS is one of the gold standard programs acknowledged by UNAIDS 90-90-90 treatment targets.

Using a similar workforce development framework, Cancer Kitso was created and piloted in Botswana to educate different cadres of professionals on the clinical management of the common cancers. The Botswana-Rutgers Partnership for Health, which led the development of Botswana’s Cancer Kitso program, also is laying the groundwork to roll out Cancer Kitso in Lesotho and Tanzania. As with KITSO AIDS, the aim is to roll out Cancer Kitso in multiple other sub-Saharan African countries.

The building blocks of Cancer Kitso include:

• Needs Assessment – A quantitative and qualitative needs assessment was conducted in Botswana to understand the gaps in cancer care and prevention. The report, published in May 2022, addresses the critical gaps, needs, and provisions of cancer services. The recommendations include timely access to cancer services, concerted efforts to implement screenings and early detection programs, patient navigation and other referral pathways, and training opportunities in cancer prevention, screening, early detection, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care.
• Stakeholders’ Engagement – Partnerships with government ministries that oversee health, health care facilities, and academic institutions have facilitated engagement with various professionals to gain insights and feedback in Botswana, Lesotho, and Tanzania. These efforts have included in-person and virtual meetings, workshops, and site tours at health care facilities. In addition, leaders from health care facilities were actively involved in selecting participants for the pilot training program in Botswana.
• Curriculum Development – The Cancer Kitso curriculum was developed by an interprofessional group of oncology experts including nurses, pharmacists, and physicians from Botswana, Lesotho, Tanzania, and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. Led by a curriculum development specialist, faculty and clinicians with expertise in oncology formed five teams to develop and deliver the instructional material. This material integrates current oncology standards and evidence-based clinical management practices.