Title : Stakeholder engagement process for multinational lung cancer control programme for Malawi
Abstract:
Introduction: Lung cancer remains a critical public health concern globally. With a variation of risk factors, it remains the leading cause of cancer-related death and has a considerably high burden in sub-Saharan Africa . There is a deficiency in data for Malawi for several reasons, which include systematic health system strategies to effectively capture the true burden of disease . Effective stakeholder engagement is essential for developing impactful research, shaping policy, and improving patient outcomes.
Study Objective: The objective of this study was to outline a structured stakeholder engagement process for introducing and building health system capacity for lung cancer services in Malawi, aiming to foster collaboration among healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, patients, and advocacy groups. Key objectives included identifying research priorities, addressing gaps in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, and establishing a sustainable framework for policy development.
Methods: The engagement process employed a participatory approach, incorporating stakeholder mapping, consultation meetings, group discussions, and collaborative workshops to ensure inclusivity and knowledge co-creation.
Results: The stakeholder engagement process in Malawi not only fostered inclusive dialogue and a broader community ownership but also strategically integrated technical expertise to guide the development of the national lung cancer programme. This collaborative approach created a robust platform for establishing a technical working group and a national steering committee, which played a pivotal role in shaping and reviewing health systems processes. These structures ensured that lung cancer is effectively incorporated into the broader national cancer control agenda—from programme design through to implementation—thereby strengthening the relevance, feasibility, and sustainability of evidence-informed interventions.
Conclusion: Stakeholder engagement in Malawi provided a critical foundation for the national lung cancer programme by integrating technical expertise and community insights. This process enabled cohesive communication between key stakeholders in order to build on and strengthen the current cancer health services in Malawi.
