Building workforce capacity for the surgical management of cervical cancer in a fragile, low-income African nation—Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract Background Globally, increasing numbers of higher education institutions (HEIs) in non-English-speaking countries have adopted English as a medium of instruction (EMI), because of the perception that this provides opportunities to attract high-calibre students and academic staff, and engage with the international research community. We report an evaluation of a North–South-South collaboration to develop health research capacity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by establishing a postgraduate programme in nutritional epidemiology at the Kinshasa School of Public Health (KSPH), where EMI was adopted. We report experiences and perceptions of stakeholders, facilitators and students about using EMI. Methods In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted between October and December 2019 among convenience sampled stakeholders (8), facilitators (11) and students (12) involved in the programme from all three partner institutions (University of Kinshasa; University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; University of Bergen, Norway). Interviews were conducted in participants’ language of preference (English or French), audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated into English when required. Analysis employed a thematic approach. Results Most participants viewed EMI positively, reporting that studying in English created opportunities to access relevant literature, improve interactions with the scientific community and advance their careers. As a result of adopting EMI, some students had opportunities to present research findings at international conferences and publish their research in English. English-speaking researchers from partner institutions were able to participate in supervision of students’ research. However, inadequate English competency, particularly among students, was challenging, with some students reporting being unable to understand or interact in class, which negatively affected their academic performance. Further, EMI created barriers at KSPH among academic staff who were not proficient in English, leading to poor participation among non-English-speaking staff and lack of integration with other postgraduate programmes. Participants suggested additional English language support for EMI. Conclusion Partnerships between HEIs could be a powerful tool to develop research capacity in low-income countries in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. EMI could be a solution to language barriers faced by many such partnerships, but wide-ranging support to develop English proficiency among staff and students is essential to ensure that the challenges do not outweigh the benefits.

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Comparison of human papillomavirus testing and cytology for cervical cancer screening in a primary health care setting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gynecologic Oncology ◽

10.1016/j.ygyno.2011.10.031 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 124 (2) ◽

pp. 286-291 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Salaheddin M. Mahmud ◽

Ghislain Sangwa-Lugoma ◽

Samih H. Nasr ◽

Patrick K. Kayembe ◽

Rahma R. Tozin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Primary Health Care ◽

Human Papillomavirus ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening ◽

Care Setting ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Primary Health ◽

Republic Of The Congo

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Prevalence and Distribution of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes Among Women in Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Journal of Global Oncology ◽

10.1200/jgo.19.00110 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Alex B. Mutombo ◽

Ina Benoy ◽

Rahma Tozin ◽

Johannes Bogers ◽

Jean-Pierre Van geertruyden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Human Papillomavirus ◽

High Risk ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Screening Program ◽

Health Centre ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Hpv Prevalence ◽

Republic Of The Congo ◽

High Risk Hpv

PURPOSE Cervical cancer is the leading cause of mortality by cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. The human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized as a necessary and sufficient cause for cervical cancer. Population-specific estimates of HPV prevalence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are unknown. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of HPV and identify predominant genotypes circulating in Kinshasa, DRC. METHODS Between July 2015 and July 2017, women were invited to attend a screening program at Mont-Amba Health Centre in Kinshasa. Cervical specimens were collected using the Preservcyt medium. HPV DNA testing was performed for all specimens using real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS During the 2-year period, a total of 1,870 women age 25 to 82 years were screened. The mean age was 46 years (± 11.4 years). The overall HPV prevalence was 28.2% (95% CI, 26.1% to 30.3%). High-risk HPV prevalence was 24.8% (95% CI, 22.8% to 26.8%). Women younger than 30 years had the highest overall HPV prevalence (42.2%; 95% CI, 34.7% to 49.9%). A second peak of prevalence was observed in women age 60 years and older. HPV68 (5.5%; 95% CI, 4.5% to 6.6%) was the most prevalent HPV type. CONCLUSION The distribution of HPV genotypes among women in our population was different compared with other world regions. A key finding was that HPV68 was the most prevalent high-risk HPV genotype. These findings highlight the need for the determination in our population of the etiologic fraction of different HPV types in invasive cervical cancers.

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Complete Genome Sequence of a New Ebola Virus Strain Isolated during the 2017 Likati Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Microbiology Resource Announcements ◽

10.1128/mra.00360-19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (20) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tony Wawina-Bokalanga ◽

Bert Vanmechelen ◽

Joan Martí-Carreras ◽

Valentijn Vergote ◽

Kurt Vermeire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genome Sequence ◽

Virus Strain ◽

Low Income ◽

Complete Genome Sequence ◽

Complete Genome ◽

Ebola Virus ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Oxford Nanopore ◽

Republic Of The Congo

Genomic sequencing for early identification of Ebola virus remains a big challenge in low-income countries. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of an Ebola virus strain obtained during the 2017 Likati outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) MinION sequencer.

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Oral Cancer Lethality in the Dental Department of Kinshasa University Hospital, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Sumerianz Journal of Medical and Healthcare ◽

10.47752/sjmh.43.160.165 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 160-165

Author(s):

Charly Mana Mfutu ◽

Jean-Paul Isouradi Sekele ◽

Fidèle Nyimi Bushabu ◽

Adelin Baudouin Nzudjom Foche ◽

Matthieu Nkumu Loposso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Cancer ◽

Low Income ◽

Cancer Mortality ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Histological Type ◽

University Hospital ◽

Primary Role ◽

Early Management ◽

Cancer Management ◽

Republic Of The Congo

Background: Despite the scientific advances achieved during this century in cancer management, nevertheless, the cancer disease remains one of the most fatal sickens globally and little data are available on oral cancer mortality in most low-income countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aim: To assess the frequency of oral cancer mortality in the Department of Dental medicine at the Kinshasa University Hospital. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional study based on the records of patients who died from oral cancer was conducted in the Department of Dental Medicine, Kinshasa University Hospital spanning over a period of 20 years (2000 to 2019). The data were collected from the records of patients with a histologically proven diagnosis of cancer. Pertinent parameters included Age, sex, stage of disease, histological type of tumor and probability of survival of patients were evaluated. Results: During the study, 889 patients were hospitalized in the Department. Out of 91 patients who died while in hospital, 49 deaths (53.8%) were from oral cancer in 57% males. Median age was 46.02±19.6 years and sex ratio of male/female of 1.3. The epidermoid or squamous cell carcinoma (63.3%) was the most frequent histological type of malignancy, and the majority of deaths (96%) occurred at and advanced cT4NM clinical stage with 90% having less than 200 days prognostic survival chance. Conclusion: The frequency of lethality in the present study was high and constitutes a health problem concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This study emphasizes the primary role devoted to oral health professionals in education, population, prevention, early detection and early management of oral cancer.

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