The Patient Navigation project in Kigali, Rwanda

In 2021, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) in collaboration with the City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/Can) and All Medical Inc (ALLM), launched a digitally enabled cancer patient navigation programme for breast and cervical cancer (BCC) patients. The programme aimed to strengthen the capacity and communication of five cancer referral health institutions in Rwanda – University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB), Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence, University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), King Faisal Hospital (KFH), and Rwanda Military Hospital (RMH). The programme trained and introduced 5 patient navigators who were deployed in each hospital to aid the flow of patients in the care pathway, in addition to a new digital platform called JOIN, developed by ALLM, a Japanese technology provider. The digital platform was intended to improve internal and external data sharing across institutions and healthcare personnel, and thus enhance coordination of care across the participating hospitals.