Multinational Lung Cancer Prevention Project (MNLCPP)
The project is being implemented in Kabwe (Makululu Urban Health Centre, Kabwe Central Hospital) in Central Province, and Ndola (Chipulukusu Clinic, Ndola Central Hospital) in Copperbelt Province, Zambia. It is part of a broader multinational initiative operating in Ethiopia, Eswatini, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally, yet in Zambia, there are significant challenges in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Delayed detection, inadequate awareness, limited diagnostic capacity, and underdeveloped cancer surveillance systems contribute to poor outcomes. This project seeks to bridge these gaps by strengthening health systems, enhancing community awareness, and improving access to early diagnostic services. By doing so, it aims to reduce the burden of lung cancer and lay the foundation for long-term, sustainable cancer control programs in Zambia.
FUNDING PARTNER: Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF)
Implementing Partners:
Ministry of Health (MoH)
Zambart
The Multinational Lung Cancer Prevention Project aimed at strengthening lung cancer surveillance, improving diagnostic services, building healthcare provider capacity, and integrating lung cancer awareness into existing community health programs. The first phase will focus on understanding the burden of disease, barriers to care, and strengthening systems to prepare for an expanded second phase. The project will also pilot a smoking cessation program, leverage existing TB and HIV screening platforms, and form multidisciplinary teams to coordinate patient care.
OBJECTIVES:
To strengthen cancer surveillance systems and cancer registries for all cancers
To determine the lung cancer prevalence and identify the risk factors among lung cancer patients in Zambia
To determine the barriers and facilitators to accessing lung cancer care and the associated costs from the patient perspective
To build capacity for suspicion index for lung cancer among healthcare professionals including (from community to hospital level)
To integrate cancer awareness and health education (cervical, prostate, breast, and lung cancers)
To pilot an innovative smoking cessation program.
