Challenges and opportunities for Mohs surgery implementation in African healthcare systems

Skin cancer in African countries results primarily from exposure to high ambient ultraviolet radiation. It is an emerging public health issue with limited improvement in management services. Mohs surgery, a renowned surgical procedure in the treatment of skin cancer, involves exact tumor excision along with horizontal frozen tissue examination. It is known to minimize the defect size and improve patient outcomes. Therefore, Mohs surgery is highly effective for almost all nonmelanoma skin cancers. Despite its proven potential, the implementation of Mohs surgery in Africa faces various limitations. This commentary seeks to provide insights into the current threats and opportunities surrounding the execution of Mohs surgery in African healthcare systems. The role of governments, healthcare professionals, and international organizations is also highlighted in this paper.

A literature search was conducted by retrieving articles from PubMed and Google Scholar. Previous articles that discuss skin cancer, Mohs surgery, and cancer in Africa were analysed to understand the implementation aspects of Mohs surgery in Africa.

The implementation of Mohs surgery in Africa is very limited due to challenges such as inadequately trained healthcare professionals, costs associated with the surgery, and cultural beliefs and misconceptions. Nevertheless, telemedicine has been used in surgical consultations regarding the postoperative management of patients who undergo Mohs surgery.

Despite advances in medicine, African dermatological health care remains underdeveloped. Therefore, increased investment in healthcare training, infrastructure development, and more African-based skin cancer studies are necessary and paramount factors for the expansion and accessibility of Mohs surgery in Africa.