Over the past two weeks, the U.S. Embassy helped connect oncology specialists from the United States and Nigeria to help strengthen the capacity of cancer treatment and care in Nigeria.
As visiting Fulbright Specialists in the field of oncology pharmacy, Prof. Cindy O’Bryant of the University of Colorado and Professor Donald Harvey of Emory University conducted trainings and shared best practices with their Nigerian counterparts in both Abuja and Lagos.
Dr. O’Bryant and Dr. Harvey briefed stakeholders at the Ministry of Health, National Hospital Trauma Centre, and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital on new clinical approaches to help improve treatment outcomes and the survival rate of cancer patients. They also discussed early detection and prevention, enhanced delivery of care, and strengthening institutional support for patient-centered care models.
In Lagos, the two Fulbright Specialists conducted a workshop in pharmaceutical best practices for 34 pharmacy oncologists from across Nigeria. The training focused on managing different cancers, selecting and administering medicines, using Biosafety Cabinets and other workplace safety protocols, and safely administering chemotherapy at the Marcelle Ruth Cancer Centre and NSIA-LUTH Cancer Centre.
The U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Section and Project Pink Blue, a local cancer awareness non-profit organisation, through the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Specialist Programme, sponsored the visit. The Fulbright Specialist Program is a short-term complement to the more widely known U.S. Fulbright Scholar Programme, which sends U.S. faculty and professionals overseas to consult, research, and promote dialogue as subject matter experts.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Programme, which since 1946 has been operational in over 160 countries to facilitate international educational and cultural exchanges among leading and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, and professionals from all fields.
