Project 460777

Advances in childhood cancer care have made cure a reality for over 80% of children in high income countries. These advances have not translated into many systems of care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burden of childhood cancer looms largest. A major impediment to the effective care of children with cancer in LMICs remains a pervasive lack of access to essential medicines. Although the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines List sets the basic bar that all national governments should meet in the provision of medicines, persistent challenges within LMIC health system continue to hinder drug availability. Thus, growing recognition of the mounting role that paediatric cancer will bear in global childhood mortality has created a window of opportunity for innovative collective action around supply chain management systems. Access to Childhood Cancer Essentials (ACCESS) is an international initiative with a mission to create and implement innovative solutions to childhood cancer drug and radiotherapy access in LMICs. Through this initiative, ACCESS East Africa was cultivated through the engagement of stakeholders from Canada, the USA and five East African countries-Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda-with the vision to collectively strategize sustainable solutions for improved pediatric cancer treatment. This planning and dissemination grant would support a two-day stakeholder meeting that will bring together members of our project team and key stakeholders from the East African cancer community to discuss research findings and meaningfully strategize opportunities for future policy impact. Successful completion of the proposed activities will support sustained models of collaboration amongst an empowered network of stakeholders and galvanize strategic planning for improved access to cancer medicines for children across the East African region.