St. Jude Global Regional Program – Sub-Saharan Africa

A Global Movement

Every Child, Everywhere.

St. Jude Global brings together individuals and institutions dedicated to improving the quality of care and increasing survival rates worldwide for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

Dear colleagues,

As the Director of the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Program at St. Jude Global, I want to express my gratitude for your dedicated support since 2018. Together, we have made significant progress in advancing outcomes for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases throughout the continent. However, childhood cancer remains a significant issue, with many children going undiagnosed. Our collective aim is to raise survival rates from 20-30% to 60% by 2030 through thoughtful collaboration, advocacy, and innovation.

Our regional program respects the sovereignty and agency of the countries we work with and operate only where we are invited. We prioritize efficiency and collaboration, avoiding duplication. We engage all stakeholders, from local to international levels, to address the complex challenges. We support local teams in implementing their own priorities.

Looking ahead, let us continue working together with partners to expand our reach and impact. Our goal is to ensure that no child in Sub-Saharan Africa is left behind in the fight against cancer. Thank you for your unwavering support. With our shared commitment, we will continue to make a lasting impact.

Sincerely,

Nickhill Bhakta, MD, MPH Director, Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Program St. Jude Global

Pediatric Cancer Burden in Sub-Saharan Africa

Approximately 400,000 children worldwide develop childhood cancer each year, of whom nearly 31% call subSaharan Africa home. The unfortunate reality, however, is that less than one in five children from the region will survive their disease. Contributing to this survival gap is that an estimated one in two new cases of childhood cancer are missed in sub-Saharan Africa because of health system constraints. This alarming disparity underscores the urgent need for collaborative efforts to improve access to early diagnosis, treatment, and comprehensive care.

Our Approach

Improvement Science

We seek to enhance healthcare systems and policies through the implementation of evidence-based tools and quality improvement interventions. We offer comprehensive support, including training and ongoing assistance.

Capacity Building and Education

Collaboration is key. We work with transversal teams and regional partners to develop tailored guidelines for patient management, while providing educational interventions and online materials to support busy healthcare professionals.

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St. Jude Global Alliance

The St. Jude Global Alliance is dedicated to the shared vision of improving access to quality care and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases worldwide. The St. Jude Global Alliance takes a multilevel approach to developing regional, national and hospital-based initiatives centered on its member partners across seven regions and a growing number of cross-regional programs to ensure the advancement of care around the globe.

About St. Jude Global

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital opened in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee, and leads the way the world understands, treats, and cures childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other life-threatening illnesses. In an effort to decrease disparities and improve cure rates, the institution launched St. Jude Global to support the advancement of care for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.

St. Jude Global works in partnership with more than 200 medical institutions, foundations, governments, and United Nations agencies around the world. St. Jude is the first and only World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer. The institution partnered with WHO to launch the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) in 2018 and to establish the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, a new initiative to provide access to an uninterrupted supply of qualityassured cancer medicines worldwide announced in 2021.

Our Programs

Members of the St. Jude Global Alliance can engage each other across seven regions while participating in more than a dozen transversal programs with the shared goal to improve healthcare delivery that will change pediatric hematology-oncology worldwide.

REGIONAL PROGRAMS

TRANSVERSAL PROGRAMS

CRITICAL CARE

CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION

DISEASE BURDEN AND SIMULATION

HEALTH SYSTEMS

HEMATOLOGY

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

METRICS AND PERFORMANCE

NEURO-ONCOLOGY

NURSING

PALLIATIVE CARE

PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE

PHARMACY

RETINOBLASTOMA

SURGERY