PAEDIATRIC CANCERS
services in pathology. The role of the local team cannot be understated. The TASH
‰ Training workshops targeted to specific cancers and their Steering Committee is actively involved in the approval of all
management. proposed treatment protocols and procurement of necessary
‰ Data management programme to capture data on chemotherapeutic and supportive medications in concert with
demographics, presentation, patterns of disease and the pharmacy. Addis Ababa University has approved the
outcomes of treatment. fellowship training programme that will start in March 2013.
‰ Visiting faculty programme for hands-on and distance Key members of the School of Medicine have agreed to
learning. participate in the teaching. An oncology nursing curriculum is
‰ Family support programme in collaboration with the Tesfa currently in development and will be presented to the Addis
Addis Parents Childhood Cancer Organization (TAPCCO) Ababa University School of Nursing for approval.
and other agencies in Addis with the aim of providing Renovation of a separate unit for children with cancer has
housing, nutrition and financial support to families in order begun and will be completed in March 2013. Dr Yasar Celiker,
to reduce abandonment during treatment. a US-based paediatric oncologist with 17 years of experience
‰ Fundraising efforts by The Aslan Project to support all who is board-certified in both paediatric oncology and
areas of the project. palliative care, will serve as the full-time Clinical Director for
the programme. Dr Celiker will be responsible for the day-to-
Progress to date day clinical care on the unit and supervise the fellowship
The INCTR Programme for Ethiopia was inaugurated in training programme.
January 2011 with a Paediatric and Adolescent Oncology INCTR’s i-Path programme (including the donation of a
Symposium held in Addis Ababa. Physicians, nurses and other microscope equipped with a digital camera), an internet-based
allied health care professionals from TASH and other pathology and diagnostics support system was initiated in
academic institutions around the country attended the January 2011 and is making good progress. A TASH
meeting. The conference faculty, who came from the United pathologist was trained for four months in Basel, Switzerland
States, Europe, Israel, Asia and Africa, volunteered their time with Dr Nina Horowitz. Online tumour board and diagnostic
to participate in the symposium. The presenters brought case consults are being organized.
clinical and research expertise in paediatric oncology, palliative Dr David Korones and Dr Barbro Norrstrom Mittag-Leffler
care, oncology nursing, infection control and patient/family (adult palliative care expert, Sweden) have initiated a
support. paediatric and adult palliative care initiative. A TASH
Since then, steering committees have been established, paediatric faculty member with an interest in palliative care
comprising of key personnel from TASH and INCTR involved has attended two palliative care courses (one in India with Dr
in the project. The Steering Committee at TASH is headed by Gayatri Palat from the INCTR Palliative Care Programme,
CEO of TASH and Dean of Addis Ababa University School of (PAX), and one at the University of Minnesota). A pain clinic to
Medicine Dr. Mahlet Yigeremu, and includes representatives treat all paediatric patients is currently being established at
from hospital administration, paediatrics, pharmacy, nursing TASH.
and the coordinator of the twinning project in Ethiopia, Dr An officially government-licensed parents’ group, Tesfa
Alemnesh Wolde. Members of the INCTR and GUH Steering Addis Parents Childhood Cancer Organization (TAPCCO), has
Committee include paediatric oncologists: Aziza Shad been established to provide support to parents of children
(Georgetown University Hospital, Washington DC), Sheila with cancer. A nursing-led “coffee ceremony”, initiated in
Weitzman (Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada), August 2011 to serve in lieu of psychosocial support until such
David Korones (University of Rochester, New York, USA), support could be put in place, is being held weekly. Efforts are
Wond Bekele (Barnabas Health, West Orange, New Jersey, underway to address family financial and logistical support
USA), Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo (Harvard University, Boston, (e.g. housing, food, etc.); however, these still remain challenges
USA), oncology nursing: Julia Challinor (University of that must be addressed to decrease the rate of abandonment
California, San Francisco, CA, USA), pathology: Nina Horowitz of treatment and provide psychosocial care during
(INCTR and University of Basel, Switzerland). The committee hospitalizations.
is assisted in this effort by other internationally recognized Efforts to improve safe administration of chemotherapy are
experts in paediatric oncology, pathology, nursing, data underway. A chemotherapy training class designed and taught
management and transfusion medicine. Dr Ian Magrath, by Ato Ephrem, Lecturer and Head of Experiential Teaching,
President, INCTR, serves as an adviser to the project. School of Pharmacy at Addis Ababa University was held in
110 CANCER CONTROL 2013