Africa region webinar: Cancer rehabilitation in the Africa region/Réadaptation des personnes atteintes de cancer dans la région africaine

Cancer rehabilitation in the Africa region/Réadaptation des personnes atteintes de cancer dans la région africaine

This free webinar is only open to members of World Physiotherapy member organisations in the Africa region. Attendees will receive a certificate for 1.0 hour of continuing professional development.

Date and time

12 March 2026, 17:00–18:00 UTC. Check your local time

Translation

The webinar will be delivered in English and French, with simultaneous translation provided through AI software.

Speakers

Sam C. Ibeneme, member of Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy
Aminat Abolade, member of Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy
Moderator: Alberta Nyarko, vice chair Africa region executive committee

Session outline

Cancer care might not be in the focus of many physiotherapists practising in the Africa region, yet it is a very important topic to address and discuss. Therefore, the Africa region executive committee has invited two colleagues who are leaders in cancer care in the Africa region.

The two invited speakers will address different aspects of cancer care. Our first speaker will introduce models and strategies for cancer prevention and survivorship. This is then followed by a presentation on digital innovation in cancer rehabilitation.

Sam C. Ibeneme: Physical activity for cancer prevention and survivorship in LMICs: feasible models, dose/monitoring, biomarkers, and adherence strategies

Prof. Sam Chidi Ibeneme is a Distinguished Consultant Neuro-Physiotherapist and Professor of Neurophysiotherapy, and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences & Technology at David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Nigeria. He brings 25+ years of clinical, academic, and health-systems leadership experience and has authored/co-authored 60+ peer-reviewed publications. His scholarship focuses on patient-centred rehabilitation and scalable physical activity models for chronic disease prevention and cancer survivorship in low-resource settings—integrating practical dose/monitoring strategies, adherence support, and biomarker-informed risk profiling. He is also an experienced evidence-synthesis methodologist (systematic reviews/meta-analyses), producing guideline-ready evidence products (evidence tables, evidence profiles, and policy briefs), and his work has been cited in WHO guideline evidence materials, including the WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020). He also chairs DUFUHS’s Research Ethics Committee and coordinates the Clinical Trials Consortium at the University of Nigeria.

Presentation objectives

By the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:

Apply a simple Green–Amber–Red clinical triage framework to safely prescribe and monitor physical activity for cancer prevention and survivorship in low- and middle-income settings.
Design an LMIC-feasible physical activity delivery model (minimum viable programme, task-shifting, and basic monitoring tools) that improves adherence and functional outcomes among cancer survivors.

References

Cancer survivorship (exercise oncology / rehabilitation guidance): Campbell, K. L., Winters-Stone, K. M., Wiskemann, J., et al. (2019). Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors: Consensus Statement from International Multidisciplinary Roundtable. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 51(11), 2375–2390. https://northcountycancerfitness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/exerciseguidelinescancer.2019.pdf. (ACSM consensus statement)
Dose and monitoring (global public-health benchmark; includes adults/older adults): World Health Organization. (2020). WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/b/55518. (WHO 2020 guidelines)

Aminat Abolade: Digital innovation in cancer rehabilitation: improving access, continuity, and outcomes

Aminat Abolade, PT, MRTB, is a physiotherapist, cancer researcher, and digital health leader with expertise in clinical rehabilitation, health technology strategy, and operations management. She combines clinical insight with technological innovation to enhance cancer care delivery, patient experience, and health systems performance across low-resource settings.

In her current role as Chief of Staff/Lead Project Manager at a health startup, she leads strategic planning, operational execution, cross-functional coordination, and partnerships to scale digital oncology solutions in Africa. She was awarded “Most Innovative Staff” by her team in 2025. She is also recognised as an emerging voice in global health and oncology physiotherapy, having been selected as an Early Career Research Fellow with the International Physical Therapists for HIV, AIDS, Oncology, Hospice & Palliative Care (IPTHOPE), and actively shares insights on cancer rehabilitation, digital innovation, and professional growth with a global professional community.

Aminat holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy degree from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and is currently undergoing her clinical internship training at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.