The Caribbean cancer portal: lessons for sustainability, accessibility, and impact in cancer programs in Caribbean Islands

The Caribbean Cancer Portal (CCP) adopted a creative approach to developing and implementing a cancer control program in the Caribbean. The virtual interaction space was established to address gaps in education for cancer prevention and for patients and survivors. Systematization captured experiences of stakeholders, and lessons were deduced about best practices for program sustainability, accessibility, and achieving high impact. These lessons are vital to improve knowledge of performance risks and best practices for collaboration and sustainability in this environment. The success of the CCP was marked by active participation of high-impact organizations in the region; multidisciplinary leadership and facilitation by regional experts; stable program structure directly responding to regional needs; and high patronage by a wide cross-section of the Caribbean community. Five themed lessons of best practices evolved in development and implementation of the CCP toward these achievements: diverse, inclusive, and strategic partnerships extending beyond local levels; leveraging and maximizing resources through existing government and non-government institutions and structures; developing need-focused interventions that address all faculties through which health and well-being are ensured; application of scientific principles and concepts in intervention design; and feedback to inform implementation and scale up strategies that are expansive but also sustainable. The lessons underscore the need for greater attention to the methodological approach in cancer control program development. Each activity must be deliberately planned and executed as an independent unit for success. Caribbean cancer control programs can improve with designs that model the adage that a chain is as strong as its weakest link.