Background
The rising cancer burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) occurs against a backdrop of profound systemic inequity. While high-income regions benefit from robust surveillance systems, SSA faces a stark disparity in data capacity. Many Population-Based Cancer Registries (PBCRs) remain fragile, hampered by a critical deficit of personnel trained in advanced Cancer Registration and epidemiology. This lack of localized data forces national cancer control strategies to rely on global estimates that may not be based on local data. To bridge this gap, the IARC-GICR Centre of Expertise in Kenya launched a formal mentorship program designed to shift the paradigm from external dependency to regional self-sufficiency.

Objective
The primary aim is to strengthen the technical and leadership capacity of PBCR staff across SSA. Specific objectives include providing structured professional development, addressing skill gaps in advanced data utilization, and implementing a personalized mentorship model to foster long-term expertise.
 
Methods
A cohort of 23 cancer registry personnel from 10 SSA countries participated in a needs assessment. Applying Implementation Science principles, the program moved beyond traditional one-off workshops toward a sustained, evidence-based intervention. The model features a one-year commitment starting October 1, 2025.
To ensure high intervention fidelity, four mentors were allocated to small groups of 5–6 mentees. The program utilizes a hybrid contact schedule: (i)Physical Meetings of high-intensity, in-person workshops to build rapport and handle complex technical troubleshooting. (ii) Online Mentorship for continuous, longitudinal coaching via digital platforms to provide immediate support during daily registry operations.
 
Results
The assessment confirmed a universal demand for specialized development. Major objectives clustered around three critical implementation pillars: Data Leadership and Management (Strategic planning and resource advocacy to ensure registry sustainability); Data Analysis and Utilization (Enhancingthe use of CanReg5 for data through quality checks,  consistency and statistical interpretation); Registry Reporting and Dissemination (Building the capacity to produce comprehensive, policy-relevant Registry Reports).

Mentees were highly motivated to achieve data-driven decision-making, suggesting that the barrier to progress was not a lack of interest, but a lack of structured pathways to translate theory into practice.
 
Conclusion
By leveraging a low mentor-to-mentee ratio and a hybrid delivery model, the IARC-GICR Centre of Expertise addresses the historical disparity in global health informatics. This approach ensures that capacity building is not an isolated event but a continuous process integrated into the local health system. Such regional expertise is essential for generating the high-quality data required for effective national cancer control and global surveillance.