To prepare the onset of EquityCancer-LA, the research plan and tools for both the qualitative and quantitative base-line studies were elaborated, and study areas were selected in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. Country research teams were set up, as well as Local Steering and National Scientific Committees. At a project level, both the Scientific and Ethics International Committees were formed.
At the end of the first reporting period, data collection tools for the base-line study had been already adapted to each context, and qualitative and quantitative fieldwork started in Latin American (LA) countries after obtaining the ethical approval. However, difficulties to complete the patients’ survey arose in the three countries due to context-related factors. This fact required a higher dedication of the research teams and delayed the completion of the quantitative base-line study until well into the second reporting period for Chile and Ecuador, while it could not be completed in Colombia; delaying the implementation of the intervention in the three contexts. Despite this situation, results of the qualitative study informed the analysis of conditions for the adaptation and implementation of the EquityCancer-LA multi-component intervention in participant healthcare settings. The process followed a participatory strategy with healthcare professionals and relevant stakeholders from healthcare networks, who engaged in discussions on how to improve cancer diagnosis in their networks. At the end of the second reporting period, different components of the EquityCancer-LA intervention had been already implemented in the three LA countries, and its monitoring was underway. The plan of analysis and tools for the intra-country evaluation and monitoring of the interventions were elaborated and adapted to each context, and data collection started. Progress was also made regarding the analysis of the implementation costs and cost-effectiveness. Finally, the cross-country comparative analysis of preliminary results was developed, and its conclusions shared and discussed among research teams and with different stakeholders during public dissemination events.
To date, EquityCancer-LA presentations to policy makers and relevant stakeholders of the health sector in LA countries have been conducted, where the organization of public seminars in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador stand out. Moreover, EquityCancer-LA has been present in national and international scientific conferences, while the study protocol has been published in a scientific journal. The EquityCancer-LA consortium has attended most of the networking activities organized by the Global Alliance of Chronic Diseases (GACD). Capacity building needs has been identified and addressed by a learning by doing strategy towards junior researchers and members of the Local Steering Committees, in situ scientific support to research teams, and continuous exchange between project partners. Biannual project workshops in Latin America stand out as one of the most important spaces for discussion within the EquityCancer-LA consortium. Since the start of the project, the coordinator has provided support and supervised scientific and management tasks, ensuring a good implementation and the fulfilment of project goals.
