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Breast and cervical cancer are among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally. In Kenya, delayed presentation and diagnosis contribute to breast and cervical cancer mortality. The Kenyan government acknowledges the cancer burden with estimated 39,000 new cases diagnosed and 27,000 deaths per annum. Mortality can be reduced if cancer is diagnosed early and with appropriate treatment. Health Literacy (HL) about cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment is important in reducing mortality, but there is little understanding about HL levels, experiences of patients diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer and the contexts in which they make decisions. In this study, health literacy is defined as the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, communicate, process and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. This exploratory qualitative study investigated the HL experiences of accessing and using health information in women with any stage of breast or cervical cancer presenting at the Aga Khan University Hospital (private) or Kenyatta National Hospital (public) in Nairobi, Kenya. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews from a purposive sample of 18 women. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies guidelines guided data analysis. The findings may aid development of patient education tools and determine effective ways of communicating cancer-related health information to improve the knowledge and health-seeking behaviours of Kenyan women. This project identified sociocultural beliefs and factors that influence how women understand information provided by healthcare professionals. Themes that arose included but were not limited to: fear, despair and agony at diagnosis, faith, social support, side effects, cancer-related stigma and financial burden of cancer as a barrier to getting information.

Nurses are on the frontline of palliative care, and in some countries, are the only contact for patients and families facing life-threatening illness. The Oman Cancer Association in the Sultanate of Oman, in collaboration with the Middle Eastern Cancer Consortium and the Oncology Nursing Society, led a palliative care initiative over the past decade to better integrate palliative care into the health care system. Components of this initiative include integrating palliative care into the health care curricula and providing palliative care education to over 400 nurses and other health care professionals within Oman. The four-part education series includes the following courses: (1) Foundations of Palliative Care, (2) Advanced Concepts in Palliative Care, (3) Palliative Care Leadership, and (4) Palliative Care Research. Additional participants from 17 different countries in the Middle East and northern Africa also attended the training. Twenty of the trainees who were considered palliative care leaders in their countries then participated in a Train the Trainer course. This group trained the last cohort of health care professionals in Oman and then took learned concepts and strategies back to their respective countries in order to provide country-wide education and build palliative care capacity in the region. Outcomes include the development of palliative care units, quality improvement projects that improved care, and advocacy projects to increase opioid availability within some countries. The collaborative continues its work and connections through social medial, email, and virtual collaboration. Other countries can use this model to permeate palliative care within their regions.