"The global burden of cancer is considerable. The majority of cancer cases and more than 70% of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. Based on current population trends, global cancer mortality is expected to double by the year 2030. The problem is magnified in Botswana, which has the second highest infection rate of AIDS/HIV in the world. As HIV patients are beginning to live longer with effective therapy, healthcare providers are seeing a surge of cancer cases. More than 40% of new cancer cases in Botswana are due to HIV."
NEWS
On Monday, April 16th, Kate Pescatore ran the Boston Marathon to support BOTSOGO! Funds raised will go to support a new initiative called iBreastExam, a novel yet validated technology that promises to help the Botswana Ministry of Health meet its goal of providing screening clinician breast exams to all women aged 40-65 years. As of April 18, 2018, over $11,000 was raised including online and mailed donations, exceeding our goals! Meet Kate and support BOTSOGO here.EVENTS
~Save the date! The next BOTSOGO Tumor Board is Tuesday, September 18th at 11 am Eastern / 5 pm Central Africa Time and we will discuss "A 68 year old woman with breast cancer and pleural effusion." (MGH location: Cox 6 Conference Room; Francistown location: Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, Conference Room, Admin Block 1st Floor; Gaborone location: Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute, PMH grounds, Conference Room, Ground Floor.)Training & Care
Supporting the development of clinical capacity through training and direct patient care a full-time MGH oncologist and regular rotation of senior clinicians.Tumour Board
Participatory internet-based conferences including several sites in Botswana and the US focused on care of current patients in Botswana.Research
Conducting rigorous research to inform the advancement of oncology and HIV care in Botswana and the region.About BOTSOGO
The BOTSwana Oncology Global Outreach program (BOTSOGO) works to improve access to quality cancer care in Botswana through a growing collaboration between physicians and other healthcare professionals in Boston and in Botswana. BOTSOGO, which means “health” in Botswana’s primary language, connects Mass General Cancer Center, the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Botswana’s cancer caregivers and the Botswana government. The group’s ultimate goal is to improve access to quality cancer care in Botswana by educating the Botswana population, training future generations of cancer caregivers and conducting vital clinical research.