PAEDIATRIC CANCERS
November 2011. A strong partnership with both the TASH Dr Aziza Shad is the Amey Distinguished Professor of Neuro-
pharmacy and the School of Pharmacy is a major component of Oncology and Childhood Cancer and Director of the Division of
our programme. Plans are now in place to install biosafety Pediatric Hematology Oncology, Blood and Marrow
cabinets for chemotherapy preparation in the paediatric Transplantation at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center,
haematology/oncology as well as adult haematology/oncology Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC, USA. She is
units and to support pharmacist training in chemotherapy also the Director of the Leukemia Lymphoma Program and
preparation. In September 2012, two TASH pharmacists Director of the Cancer Survivorship Program.
attended a one-month training in chemotherapy preparation Dr Shad graduated with honors from Dow Medical College,
and handling in the pharmacy of the Children’s Cancer Karachi, Pakistan in 1977. After completing a residency in
Hospital Egypt, under the guidance of Sherif Kamal, Director paediatrics, she obtained a Post-Graduate Diploma in Child
Department of Pharmaceutical Services Health (DCH) from the University of Karachi, Pakistan in 1980.
The project has also established a collaboration with Dr Ken After additional training in paediatrics and oncology in London,
Miller, a medical oncologist, and Annette Galassi, an oncology UK, she completed another paediatrics residency at the
nurse, both of whom are working under the aegis of the Children’s Hospital, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA,
American Society of Clinical Oncologists and Health (1986–89), followed by a Fellowship in paediatric
Volunteers Overseas. This group is directing its attention to Hematology/Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, NIH,
adult haematology and medical oncology at TASH, pursuing a Bethesda, MD, (1989-92). She then continued her research on
model similar to ours. This collaborative effort is helping Pediatric Lymphomas at the Lymphoma Biology Section at the
further strengthen our ties with Dr Amha, in Adolescent and NCI through 1995. Dr Shad joined the Division of Pediatric
Adult haematology, and the medical oncology team. Hematology Oncology, Georgetown University in November
Since January 2011, INCTR-USA and GUH Steering 1995. She is Board certified in paediatrics and paediatric
Committee members as well as the ancillary faculty have made hematology oncology.
multiple visits to TASH for on-going assessment, dialogue on Dr Shad is actively involved in the development of paediatric
implementation and clinical teaching. In this way, we hope to oncology programmes in developing countries, particularly in
strengthen our relationship with our partners in Ethiopia and Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
empower all local stakeholders to take the lead in advocating She is the President of the US branch of INCTR (International
for children and adolescents with cancer and supporting their Network for Cancer Treatment and Research), Chair of the
optimal care. Pediatric Oncology Education Committee and Member of the
In September 2012, a licensed 501(c)(3) public charity Governing Council of INCTR. She is also Chair of the Palliative
called The Aslan Project was founded in Washington, DC in Care Committee for MECC (Middle East Cancer Consortium)
order to raise funds to support the project. and PODC, SIOP. She has spoken at numerous scientific
meetings, both nationally and internationally, and is widely
Conclusion published in the field of paediatric lymphomas, paediatric
All these collective efforts have prepared the way at TASH and oncology in developing countries and late effects in cancer
Addis Ababa University to begin the two-year paediatric survivors, a major area of her research. She is the author of two
oncology fellowship and the oncology nurse clinician training books.
that are the mainstay of this project. By conducting the
intensive training of local doctors and nurses, expected to Julia Challinor RN, PhD, MS in Education and MS in Med
start in March 2013, the project is taking the first step Anthropology, is a graduate of Wheelock College, San Francisco
towards the development of effective, sustainable systems for State University, the University of California, San Francisco and
paediatric and adolescent cancer treatment in Ethiopia. This is the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
also in keeping with the mandate of the Ethiopian government, A former teacher, Julia was the Educational Liaison for
that the project, once established in Addis Ababa, be expanded children with cancer and those who had survived their disease
to include other medical schools and university hospitals in at the University of California, San Francisco from 1993–2003.
Ethiopia, e.g. Jimma, Mekele, and Gondor. During 1994–2006, she also headed A Tomorrow for
This programme has been the collective effort of numerous Children Foundation and worked in partnership with pediatric
Ethiopian, international and INCTR faculty, administrative oncology centres in Latin America.
staff in Ethiopia, Washington DC and Brussels without whom Julia’s current professional focus is mentorship of pediatric
this wide-reaching endeavour would not be possible. l oncology nurses in Ethiopia and other developing countries. In
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