A Project Officer in the Cancer and Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit (CIDERU) at the College of Health Sciences, Lubuzo completed her Masters in Medical Science with cum laude. She has published seven articles in the last two years and her research primarily aims to improve public access to early diagnostic services, treatment and care for lung cancer through understanding patients and health professionals’ views and experiences of the barriers to such care. Her previous profession as a psychologist intern at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, she was afforded first-hand counselling and interaction with patients and healthcare providers. This had been Lubuzo’s biggest motivation and while looking for opportunities to commit and enhance her passion and eagerness for making a difference, she was led into research. She started off as a Junior Researcher at the Multinational Lung Cancer Control Program (MLCCP) and now Lubuzo is a registered PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu- Natal (UKZN), while employed by CIDERU. Her PhD study aims to propose a model for cancer care co-ordination intervention that can be used to guide and achieve co-ordinated access to lung cancer care in selected public healthcare facilities in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). One of Lubuzo’s responsibilities, are to design, develop, implement and manage a patient navigation coordination model for CIDERU and other public health facilities in KZN. She also co-convenes and teaches Introduction to Public Health module in the Discipline of Public Health Medicine, UKZN.
Publications
- Lubuzo B, Ginindza T, Hlongwana K. Exploring barriers to lung cancer patient access, diagnosis, referral and treatment in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa: The health providers’ perspectives. Translational Lung Cancer Research. 2019 Aug;8(4):380.
- Lubuzo B, Ginindza T, Hlongwana K. The barriers to initiating lung cancer care in low-and middle-income countries. The Pan African Medical Journal. 2020;35.
- Lubuzo B, Hlongwana KW, Ginindza TG. Improving Timely Access to Diagnostic and Treatment Services for Lung Cancer Patients in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Priority-Setting through Nominal Group Techniques. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022 Feb 9;19(4):1918.
- Lubuzo B, Hlongwana K, Ginindza T. Cancer care reform in South Africa: A case for cancer care coordination: A narrative review. Palliative & Supportive Care. 2021 May 6:1-9.
- Blanchard C, Lubuzo B, Asirwa FC, Dlamini X, Msadabwe-Chikuni SC, Mwachiro M, Shyirambere C, Ruhangaza D, Milner Jr DA, Van Loon K, DeBoer R. Multisector Collaborations and Global Oncology: The Only Way Forward. JCO Global Oncology. 2021 Jan;7:153-61.
- Hlongwana K, Lubuzo B, Mlaba P, Zondo S, Ginindza T. Multistakeholder Experiences of Providing, Receiving, and Setting Priorities for Lung Cancer Care in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
- Mapanga W, Norris SA, Chen WC, Blanchard C, Graham A, Baldwin-Ragaven L, Boyles T, Donde B, Greef L, Huddle K, Khumalo B. Consensus study on the health system and patient-related barriers for lung cancer management in South Africa. Plos one. 2021 Feb 11;16(2):e0246716.