Stronger Together Toolkit

Image: @CarolynTaylor

The global burden of cancer falls heavily on low resource settings where there are critical gaps in the provision of supportive care for cancer patients. Initiatives to translate effective clinical treatments have been gathering pace. Yet few examples exist to guide the translation of interventions that address the high, unmet psychosocial needs among cancer patients.

Global Focus on Cancer (GFC) has convened a multidisciplinary team of cancer experts and advocates to develop a virtual toolkit and curriculum to guide the implementation of peer-to-peer support programs for cancer patients.

Peer support programs are recognized as an important component of supportive and psychosocial care for cancer patients. Interaction with people sharing a similar experience in dealing with the impact

of the disease can enable a peer to offer experiential empathy, generally beyond the scope of health professionals. Peer support can also decrease feelings of isolation, encourage positive emotional states, and improve patient coping responses and behaviors. Peer mentors themselves may also reap substantial benefits, including enhanced feelings of competence, self-esteem and personal value.

Dr Cabanes, CEO of Canswers Projet is Senior Advisor at Global Focus on Cancer, and leads the demonstration study to test the implementation of the training in different sites

Read more:

• Culture matters: adapting supportive programs for cancer patients in low- and middle-income countries.