Barriers to accessing high-quality cancer medicines in Cameroon. A qualitative study of the views and practices of regulators and frontline healthcare providers
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Cancer has become a major public health problem in Cameroon. In 2020, 20,000 new cases and 14,000 deaths were registered. Despite its high burden, access to quality medications for this condition continues to be a persistent challenge in the country. This study assessed the perceptions and practices of key stakeholders on barriers to accessing quality anticancer medicines in Cameroon. The overall goal was to generate data on key challenges related to the quality of anticancer medications and their impact on cancer care and treatment in Cameroon. This is to inform policy and interventions aimed at addressing the problem. In a cross-sectional qualitative study, a document review of key reports and documents, and 57 stakeholders were purposively identified and interviewed. The choice of these respondents was informed by their engagements in one of the areas of the chemotherapy supply chain in Cameroon, including regulation, procurement, quality control, and use. Data from document notes and interviews were analyzed using a thematic approach. Several factors were identified as affecting the quality of chemotherapy medications, including weak regulatory systems, inadequate funding for regulatory activities, and a lack of core competencies among staff responsible for regulatory functions. Other factors included the high cost of anticancer medications, which influenced accessibility to quality products, as well as the quality of care offered to patients who could not afford high-priced products. These weaknesses, coupled with a lack of point-of-care tools, appear to encourage the proliferation of substandard medicines in our setting and the use of substandard therapies or protocols to treat patients. Our study sheds light on the multifaceted problems that plague Cameroon's chemotherapy supply chain and how these impact access to optimal care and treatment for cancer patients. Urgent actions are needed to enhance the regulatory landscape and improve the affordability of quality anticancer medications in Cameroon.
Source: PLOS Global Public Health
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,496
Funders: Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Khalid University, Hamer Foundation, National Science Foundation, Simons Foundation, Welch Foundation, Alzheimer's Association, American Heart Association, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, BrightFocus Foundation, Middle Tennessee State University, Wellcome Trust, United Soybean Board, Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wuxi Science and Technology Association, Health Commission of Guizhou Province, Nippon Shinyaku, Beijing Xisike Clinical Oncology Research Foundation, Misophonia Research Fund, Universidad Privada del Norte, University of Bisha, Royal Society, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science London, University College London, South African Medical Research Council, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, National Natural Science Foundation of China, King Saud University, Austrian Science Fund, Yonsei University, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Ministerstvo Zdravotnictví Ceské Republiky, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province, University of Surrey, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Research Foundation of Korea, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Japan International Cooperation Agency, Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Rigshospitalet, Taif University, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Fonds Léon Fredericq, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Versus Arthritis, Ministry of Science and ICT, South Korea, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kaohsiung Armed Forces General Hospital, UK Dementia Research Institute, Conselho Nacional das Fundações Estaduais de Amparo à Pesquisa, Alliance de recherche numérique du Canada, Fondazione Fratelli Confalonieri, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Capital Health Research and Development of Special Fund, Erasmus+, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Science and Technology Program of Guizhou Province, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute on Aging, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Center for Research Resources, H2020 European Research Council, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, Israel Innovation Authority, European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency
Awards: G2782937473, G9000072211
OpenAlex ID: W7125486544