Our Approach
Our work follows the tried and tested model developed by our partner, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, acclaimed for pioneering life-saving cures for children with cancer in the US. Over the last ten years St Jude has been working on outreach projects in Central America with very successful results. For example, medics from St Jude worked with doctors at Hospital Bloom in El Salvador and increased survival rates from virtually nil to over 50% and reduced abandonment of treatment from 60% to only 10%.
- We facilitate and develop twinning partnerships in which vital medical expertise is transferred from an experienced paediatric oncology centre in a resource rich country to doctors and nurses in a paediatric oncology unit in a developing country. Click here to see how a twinning partnership works in practise.
- Our medical trustees and parent/patient experts provide advice and guidance on strategic planning, development of treatment protocols & the creation of family support groups.
- We provide seed-funding for each project for five years for drugs and equipment; additional doctors, nurses and support staff; training; facilities; and public awareness campaigns.
- We plan for the long-term sustainability of each programme by identifying new funding sources and leveraging support by demonstrating the impact of funding. In addition, we empower the local parent support group to fundraise locally by offering training and advice.
Each project receives £30,000 to £40,000 seed-funding a year for five years (or £150,000 to £200,000 during the five year lifespan of a project). Developing long term sustainability after World Child Cancer funding ends is an important element of each project. By demonstrating successful outcomes we hope to lever more funding from local governments, companies and charitable organisations. In addition, parent support groups which form an integral part of every project are encouraged to develop local fundraising initiatives. Most projects are able to develop sustainability within five years although realistically some may struggle more than others depending on the economic situation within their country.
"Paediatric cancer is highly curable. About 50% of pediatric cancer can be cured with relatively simple procedures that have been known to the medical field for many decades. When this knowledge is transferred and utilised via twinning programs, it makes a dramatic and sustainable difference."
Raul Ribeiro, MD, World Child Cancer Trustee and Director of St Jude Children’s Research Hospital International Outreach Programme