Leveraging eLearning tools to improve cervical and breast cancer screening and diagnosis in Lagos, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

With rising rates of cancer, it is vital that the public health community identifies ways to effectively increase access to cancer awareness, prevention, and early diagnosis of the most common female cancers in Nigeria. Digital technologies can play an important role in scaling up necessary skills for health professionals to increase screenings and referrals, and to enhance their knowledge of cancer control. Pivoting and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic increased the acceptance of non-traditional ways of learning , creating new ways to disseminate knowledge across borders and different society. eLearning can play a very important role in training healthcare practitioners in Nigeria, and further research into the feasibility, challenges and opportunities presented by eLearning platforms in the healthcare sector is crucial.

KEYWORDS:

• eLearning
• cancer prevention
• cancer screening
• women and girl’s initiative
• healthy women
• healthy cities

Disclosure statement

The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Pittsburgh.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abimbola Fapohunda

Dr. Abimbola Fapohunda is a trained epidemiologist and health educator with over 19 years’ experience of running her consulting company and being in public health. She teaches part-time at the Department of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh and has conducted several studies among African Americans, Africans in the Diaspora and on the African Continent. In February 2019, Dr. Fapohunda and Lakeshore Cancer Center in Lagos, Nigeria conducted training workshops on cancer awareness for healthcare practitioners. Abimbola’s current research focus is a healthy community for Black immigrants in Pittsburgh and the intersectionality of segregation, health disparities and COVID-19 pandemic.

Adeola Fakolade

Adeola Fakolade MD MPH is a physician specialized in family medicine and general preventive medicine and public health. She received her medical degree from the University of Lagos and completed her master’s degree in public health at Case Western Reserve University. She completed her family medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and her fellowship at Case Western Reserve University/University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Her work centers around access to health care especially primary health care, preventive medicine, global health, and cancer prevention and research.

Oge Ilegbune

Dr. Oge Ilegbune MBBS, ARCGP, HMP graduated from the University of Nigeria Medical School in Enugu, Nigeria and completed her residency in General Practice. She is an associate member of the Royal College of General Practitioners of the UK. Her current role is Head of Strategy, Development and Outreach at Lakeshore Cancer Center (LCC), she is keenly focused on spearheading the eradication of cancer in Nigeria and has immense passion and enthusiasm for advocacy. She hopes to continue her work in general practice focusing on screening and preventative measures, primarily regarding cancer care at the LCC in Lagos, Nigeria.