title: A regional training programme for radiotherapists and allied professionals for the west African health community.
abstract: With 47% of the population under 15 years of age and the control of infectious and other communicable diseases, cancer will likely constitute a major health problem in West Africa in future. Radiotherapy facilities and trained manpower to run them are very limited within the subregion. This paper quantifies the severity of the situation and discusses a practical approach aimed at coping with the situation through the organisation of a training programme for radiotherapists, medical physicists and radiation technologists as part of the strategies for cancer control in West Africa. A curriculum is proposed for the training of radiotherapists.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Biology and Radiotherapy, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Durosinmi-Etti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mouelle-Sone
mesh_terms: D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D000354:Africa, Western / Q000453:epidemiology; D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003479:Curriculum; D006283:Health Physics / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D009684:Nuclear Medicine Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011871:Radiology / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013679:Technology, Radiologic / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology