Innovative public-private partnership: a diagonal approach to combating women's cancers in Africa

In low- and middle-income countries, breast and cervical cancer have a poor prognosis, partly owing to barriers to treatment. To redress this situation, health systems must be strengthened.

Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon (PRRR) is an innovative partnership designed to leverage public and private investments in global health and to build on the successful United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) platform to combat cancers of the breast and cervix in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. By supporting a comprehensive set of country-owned and country-driven interventions, PRRR seeks to reduce deaths from cervical cancer among women screened and treated through the programme and to reduce deaths from breast cancer by promoting early detection.

In its initial phase, PRRR is supporting the governments of Botswana, Zambia and other countries in expanding cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment coverage - especially to high-risk women with human immunodeficiency virus infection - and in strengthening breast cancer education and control services.

PRRR has introduced a diagonal strategy based on the life course and continuum of care approaches to cancer control. Its work has resulted in the delivery of the human papillomavirus vaccine to young girls in several settings and in the strengthening of prevention, screening and treatment delivery systems from the community to the tertiary level.

This paper outlines the approach PRRR has taken as a country-aligned public-private partnership and the preliminary lessons learnt, including the need for flexible implementation, effective country coordination mechanism and regular communication with all stakeholders.