Guiding principles for health equity in oncology: insights from patient organizations from the Middle East and Africa

TL;DR

This paper discusses how patient advocacy can improve healthcare access and equity in oncology across the Middle East and Africa.

Contribution

The paper presents insights and recommendations from a Health Equity Steering Committee in the MEA region.

Findings

Patient advocacy groups face challenges like cultural and language barriers in implementing patient-centered care.

Collaboration across sectors is essential to address gaps in knowledge sharing and treatment access.

Strengthening data analytics is needed to improve patient access programs.

Abstract

This paper explores the role of patient advocacy in fostering patient-centered care (PCC), empowerment, and equitable access to healthcare in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. Despite the vital contributions of patient advisory groups (PAGs) advocating for patients’ rights and helping informed decision-making, implementation of PCC encounters challenges such as cultural variances, language barriers, and general lack of understanding of concepts. A consensus-based Health Equity Steering Committee for the MEA PAG convened a virtual meeting, to identify current practices and gaps in patient-centric approaches in oncology. This discussion highlighted the critical role of collaborations across various sectors to enhance knowledge sharing, access to treatment advancements, and manage societal stigma. A significant gap was observed in data handling by patient organizations, underscoring the need to strengthen data analytics capabilities to improve access programs. Recommendations focused on strengthening collaborations, enhancing data analytics, and integrating patient perspectives into healthcare planning.