• M Saiful Huq, Sandhya C Acharya, Simit Sapkota, Sudhir R Silwal, Manish Gautam, Susmita Sharma, Saugat Poudyal, Mostafa A Sumon, Tasneem Hossain, A F M Kamal Uddin, Sanjeeva Gunasekara, K Govind Babu, Hemant Malhotra, Ugyen Tshomo, Ahmad J Safi, Ahmed I Masood, Shaila Purvin, Mohammad A Hai, Syed Ma Islam, Towhidul Islam, Heath Devin Skinner, Stephen Avery, Wilfred Ngwa, and Krishni Wijesooriya.
• Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Electronic address: huqs@upmc.edu.
• Lancet Oncol. 2024 Dec 1; 25 (12): e663e674e663-e674.

AbstractThe education and training of the oncological health-care workforce is vital for building effective health-care systems that deliver optimal care to patients with cancer. In the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations, there is a notable shortage of both physician and non-physician oncology professionals, including oncologists, medical physicists, radiotherapy technologists, and oncology nurses. This shortage is primarily caused by inadequate education and training programmes. Oncology professionals across SAARC countries face several challenges, including a scarcity of trained personnel, poor health-care infrastructure (including resources and equipment), and insufficient educational opportunities. This Series paper examines the current state of oncology education and training programmes within the SAARC region, identifies the challenges faced by oncology professionals, and offers recommendations for improvement. Short-term strategies focus on developing a skilled, multidisciplinary oncology workforce and enhancing existing training programmes. In the long term, the goals are to establish self-sufficient cancer care systems, promote regional collaboration, and strengthen research infrastructure. Achieving these objectives will require comprehensive approaches, increased financial resources, advanced cancer care infrastructure, and innovative educational models. Regional and international collaborations are essential to raise awareness of cancer as a major public health concern, advance prevention and early detection efforts, and bolster research initiatives.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

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