Kansa talk: mapping cancer terminologies in Bagamoyo, Tanzania towards dignity-based practice

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai

This paper reports and examines qualitative research on the use of local cancer terminology in urban Bagamoyo, Tanzania. In response to calls to unify evidence with dignity-based practices in global health, it positions local medical sociolinguistics as an entry point to create epistemologically autonomous public health practices. Semistructured ethnographic interviews with residents of Dunda Ward reveal contextual and broader patterns of how local terms structure meaning around cancer. Findings show diverse terms do not neatly align with biomedical paradigms.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Cancer care and research attention in East Africa

Rising cancer incidence and mortality in Tanzania

Underdeveloped oncological care and resources

What is already known on this topic

What this study adds

How this study might affect research, practice or policy

Original research Kansa talk: mapping cancer terminologies in Bagamoyo, Tanzania towards dignitybased practice Mohamed Yunus Rafiq,1,2 Daniel W Krugman ,3 Fatima Bapumia,4 Zachary Enumah,5 Hannah Wheatley,6 Kheri Tungaraza,7 René Gerrets,8 Steve Mfuko,9 Brian James Hall,1,10,11 Optatus Kasogela,9 Athumani Litunu,9 Peter J Winch 3 To cite: Rafiq MY, Krugman DW, Bapumia F, et al. Kansa talk: mapping cancer terminologies in Bagamoyo, Tanzania towards dignity-based practice. BMJ Glob Health 2023;8:e012349 . doi:10 . 1136/ bmjgh-2023-012349 Handling editor Seye Abimbola ► Additional supplemental material is published online only. To view, please visit the journal online ([http://dx.doi.org/10](http://dx.doi.org/10) . 1136/bmjgh-2023-012349) . Received 22 March 2023 Accepted 9 July 2023 © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. For numbered affiliations see end of article. Correspondence to Dr Mohamed Yunus Rafiq; [myr1@nyu.edu](myr1@nyu.edu) ABSTRACT This paper reports and examines the results of qualitative research on the use of local cancer terminology in urban Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Following recent calls to unify evidence and dignity-based practices in global health, this research locates local medical sociolinguistics as a key place of entry into creating epistemologically autonomous public health practices. We used semistructured ethnographic interviews to reveal both the contextual and broader patterns related to use of local cancer terminologies among residents of Dunda Ward in urban Bagamoyo. Our findings suggest that people in Bagamoyo employ diverse terms to describe and make meanings about cancer that do not neatly fit with biomedical paradigms. This research not only opens further investigation about how ordinary people speak and make sense of the emerging cancer epidemic in places like Tanzania, but also is a window into otherwise conceptualisations of ‘intervention’onto people in formerly colonised regions to improve a health situation. We argue that adapting biomedical concepts into local sociolinguistic and knowledge structures is an essential task in creating dignity-based, evidence-informed practices in global health. INTRODUCTION Over the past few decades, cancer care and research have garnered increased attention in East Africa. Broadly, low-income and middleincome countries have experienced greater increases in cancer incidence and mortality rates, a trend that is predicted to continue over the next decades.1 Recent forecasts have predicted that there will be about 2.1 million cases and 1.4million deaths due to cancer by 2040 in Africa alone.2 In Tanzania, cancer incidence and mortality rates are rising fast.3 4 In 2020, the total incidence rate based on known cases was 67.74 per 100000 people.5 Women are the most affected population, with cervical and breast cancer being the most common causes of cancer mortality.5 In a retrospective study of mortality data in Tanzanian hospitals, Lyimo et al found that between | WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC | | --- | | ⇒ Oncological care and cancer prevention in Tanzania and across sub-Saharan Africa remains underdeveloped due to decades of resource misdistribution in the global racial capitalist economy and neoliberal structural adjustment programmes in the nation. This structuring has resulted in late-stage diagnosis, poor access to care, poor quality of care and excess mortality. Dignity-based practices offer a way to address these health systems issues through grounding in local knowledge systems, respectful of local autonomy and created in conjunction with affected communities themselves.
WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS | | ⇒ We provide a rudimentary overview of the sociolinguistic landscape of cancer in Urban Bagamoyo Tanzania, outlining how people talk about, name and describe cancer, its symptoms and associated classifications. Furthe

FAQs

What research question does the paper focus on regarding cancer in Bagamoyo?

It focuses on how local residents use and interpret cancer terminology in urban Bagamoyo and how those terms shape meanings around cancer.

How was the study conducted?

The study used semistructured ethnographic interviews to explore both contextual and broader patterns in cancer talk among residents of Dunda Ward.

What do the findings suggest about local cancer terminology versus biomedical paradigms?

The findings suggest Bagamoyo residents employ diverse terms that do not neatly fit biomedical paradigms, indicating the need to consider local sociolinguistic knowledge structures.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Fahsai