Global Health Connection – August 2025
In July, the Botswana-Rutgers Partnership for Health team visited Namibia to present Go Together—A Global Alliance to Expand the Oncology Workforce in Sub- Saharan Africa.
The program aims to address the critical shortage of oncology-trained healthcare workers to strengthen cancer awareness, care, and prevention across the region. Hosted by Executive Director Mr. Penda Ithinde, the Ministry of Health and Social Services welcomed the Go Together proposal, recognizing the urgent need for more cancer care training. The initiative will be a multisectoral, multicountry alliance that unites ministries of health, experts, universities, companies, and NGOs to develop country-specific programs.
Phase 1 will launch in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Eswatini. The team also toured the AB May Cancer Centre, Namibia’s main public oncology facility, where staff manage rising patient numbers with just one clinical oncologist, one radiation oncologist, and a four-month radiation therapy backlog. This visit underscored both the challenges and opportunities for collaboration, paving the way for impactful partnerships that can help strengthen cancer care and prevention in Southern Africa.