Current status and priorities of paediatric oncology nursing in Africa: a synthesis of perspectives from SIOP Africa nurses

Introduction. As African countries adopt the global goal of improving childhood cancer survival to 60% by 2030, intentional actions are required to improve nursing. This report aims to describe the current status of paediatric oncology nursing in Africa. Methods. We report on nursing-related aspects of a survey to map paediatric oncology services in Africa (2018–2019), document perceived nursing strengths and weaknesses (2017) and share nurses’ research priorities (2019). Additionally, we report on a survey to identify topics for a foundation course (2019) and the expressed perspective of African nurses about the status of paediatric oncology nursing across the continent (2022). Results. Only 21% of respondents in the African mapping survey reported having nurses who care for children with cancer at least 75% of the time. Many centres do not have allied health workers like dieticians and play therapists, thus contributing to the nursing burden of care. The main strength of African paediatric oncology nurses was the humanisation of care, while the major weakness was the lack of training follow-up. The top research priorities focused on professional practice and psychosocial support. The Delphi survey identified 57 topic areas grouped into a 12-module curriculum for nurses new to paediatric oncology. The nurses affirmed their dedication to providing compassionate care, however, noted their vulnerability to harm and called for better specialisation, recognition and remuneration. Conclusion. This paper amplifies the voice of African paediatric oncology nurses. It illuminates the room for improvement and provides a reference point for future comparison

The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic on reversing global life-saving gains in the survival of childhood cancer: A call for collaborative action from SIOP, IPSO, PROS, WCC, CCI, st jude global, UICC and WHPCA

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented health crisis in all socio-economic regions across the globe. While the pandemic has had a profound impact on access to and delivery of health care by all services, it has been particularly disruptive for the care of patients with life-threatening noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as the treatment of children and young people with cancer. The reduction in child mortality from preventable causes over the last 50 years has seen childhood cancer emerge as a major unmet health care need. Whilst survival rates of 85% have been achieved in high income countries, this has not yet been translated into similar outcomes for children with cancer in resource-limited settings where survival averages 30%. Launched in 2018, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) is a pivotal effort by the international community to achieve at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030. The WHO GICC is already making an impact in many countries but the disruption of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to set back this global effort to improve the outcome for children with cancer, wherever they may live. As representatives of the global community committed to fostering the goals of the GICC, we applaud the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular we support the WHO's call to ensure the needs of patients with life threatening NCDs including cancer are not compromised during the pandemic. Here, as collaborative partners in the GICC, we highlight specific areas of focus that need to be addressed to ensure the immediate care of children and adolescents with cancer is not disrupted during the pandemic; and measures to sustain the development of cancer care so the long-term goals of the GICC are not lost during this global health crisis.Fil: Pritchard Jones, Kathy. University College London; Estados UnidosFil: de Abib, Simone C.V.. International Society Of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Surinam. Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Esiashvili, Natia. University of Emory; Estados UnidosFil: Kaspers, Gertjan J.L.. Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology; Países BajosFil: Rosser, Jon. No especifíca;Fil: van Doorninck, John A.. Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children; Estados UnidosFil: Braganca, João M.L.. No especifíca;Fil: Hoffman, Ruth I.. No especifíca;Fil: Rodriguez Galindo, Carlos. St Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Adams, Cary. Union for International Cancer Control; SuizaFil: Connor, Stephen R.. Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance; Estados UnidosFil: Abdelhafeez, Abdelhafeez H.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; Estados UnidosFil: Bouffet, Eric. University Of Toronto. Hospital For Sick Children; Canadá. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Howard, Scott C.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Challinor, Julia M.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Hessissen, Laila. Children Hospital of Rabat; Marruecos. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Dalvi, Rashmi B.. Bombay Hospital Institute of Medical Sciences; India. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Kearns, Pamela. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Chantada, Guillermo Luis. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Frazier, Lindsay A.. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; Suiza. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Sullivan, Michael J.. University of Melbourne; Australia. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Schulte, Fiona S.M.. University of Calgary; Canadá. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Morrissey, Lisa K.. Boston Children’s Hospital; Estados Unidos. International Society of Paediatric Surgical Oncology; SuizaFil: Kozhaeva, Olga. European Society for Paediatric Oncology; BélgicaFil: Luna Fineman, Sandra. Children’s Hospital Colorado; Estados Unidos. International Society of Paediatric Oncology; SuizaFil: Khan, Muhammad S.. Tawam Hospital; Emiratos Arabes Unido

Sustainable care for children with cancer: a Lancet Oncology Commission.

We estimate that there will be 13·7 million new cases of childhood cancer globally between 2020 and 2050. At current levels of health system performance (including access and referral), 6·1 million (44·9%) of these children will be undiagnosed. Between 2020 and 2050, 11·1 million children will die from cancer if no additional investments are made to improve access to health-care services or childhood cancer treatment. Of this total, 9·3 million children (84·1%) will be in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. This burden could be vastly reduced with new funding to scale up cost-effective interventions. Simultaneous comprehensive scale-up of interventions could avert 6·2 million deaths in children with cancer in this period, more than half (56·1%) of the total number of deaths otherwise projected. Taking excess mortality risk into consideration, this reduction in the number of deaths is projected to produce a gain of 318 million life-years. In addition, the global lifetime productivity gains of US$2580 billion in 2020-50 would be four times greater than the cumulative treatment costs of$594 billion, producing a net benefit of $1986 billion on the global investment: a net return of$3 for every $1 invested. In sum, the burden of childhood cancer, which has been grossly underestimated in the past, can be effectively diminished to realise massive health and economic benefits and to avert millions of needless deaths

Improving Care for Children With Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries--a SIOP PODC Initiative

The Paediatric Oncology in Developing Countries (PODC) committee of International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) has 10 working groups that provide a forum for individuals to engage, network, and implement improvements in the care of children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries. The development of adapted guidelines (medulloblastoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumor, neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, Burkitt lymphoma, supportive care), advocacy and awareness (on hospital detention and essential drugs), education and training, and global mapping (nutritional practice, abandonment rates, and twinning collaborations) have been the initial areas of focus, and the impact of some of these activities is evident, for example, in the SIOP Africa PODC Collaborative Wilms tumor project

Structure and Bioactivity of Steroidal Saponins Isolated from the Roots of <i>Chamaelirium luteum</i> (False Unicorn)

Phytochemical investigation of <i>Chamaelirium luteum</i> (“false unicorn”) resulted in the isolation of 15 steroidal glycosides. Twelve of these (<b>1</b>, <b>2</b>, <b>4</b>–<b>9</b>, <b>11</b>–<b>13</b>, and <b>15</b>) are apparently unique to this species, and eight of these (<b>6</b>–<b>9</b>, <b>11</b>–<b>13</b>, and <b>15</b>) are previously unreported compounds; one (<b>15</b>) possesses a new steroidal aglycone. In addition, the absolute configuration of (23<i>R</i>,24<i>S</i>)-chiograsterol A (<b>10</b>) was defined, and its full spectroscopic characterization is reported for the first time. The structures and configurations of the saponins were determined using a combination of multistage mass spectrometry (MS^<i>n</i>), 1D and 2D NMR experiments, and chemical degradation. The antiproliferative activity of nine compounds obtained in the present work, and eight related compounds generated in previous work, was compared in six human tumor cell lines, with aglycones <b>3</b> and <b>10</b> and related derivatives <b>16</b>, <b>17</b>, <b>19</b>, and <b>20</b> all displaying significant antiproliferative activity

The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic on reversing global life-saving gains in the survival of childhood cancer: A call for collaborative action from SIOP, IPSO, PROS, WCC, CCI, st jude global, UICC and WHPCA

The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented health crisis in all socio-economic regions across the globe. While the pandemic has had a profound impact on access to and delivery of health care by all services, it has been particularly disruptive for the care of patients with life-threatening noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as the treatment of children and young people with cancer. The reduction in child mortality from preventable causes over the last 50 years has seen childhood cancer emerge as a major unmet health care need. Whilst survival rates of 85% have been achieved in high income countries, this has not yet been translated into similar outcomes for children with cancer in resource-limited settings where survival averages 30%. Launched in 2018, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) is a pivotal effort by the international community to achieve at least 60% survival for children with cancer by 2030. The WHO GICC is already making an impact in many countries but the disruption of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to set back this global effort to improve the outcome for children with cancer, wherever they may live. As representatives of the global community committed to fostering the goals of the GICC, we applaud the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular we support the WHO's call to ensure the needs of patients with life threatening NCDs including cancer are not compromised during the pandemic. Here, as collaborative partners in the GICC, we highlight specific areas of focus that need to be addressed to ensure the immediate care of children and adolescents with cancer is not disrupted during the pandemic; and measures to sustain the development of cancer care so the long-term goals of the GICC are not lost during this global health crisis

Sustainable care for children with cancer: a Lancet Oncology Commission

We estimate that there will be 13.7 million new cases of childhood cancer globally between 2020 and 2050. At current levels of health system performance (including access and referral), 6.1 million (44.9%) of these children will be undiagnosed. Between 2020 and 2050, 11.1 million children will die from cancer if no additional investments are made to improve access to health-care services or childhood cancer treatment. Of this total, 9.3 million children (84.1%) will be in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. This burden could be vastly reduced with new funding to scale up cost-effective interventions. Simultaneous comprehensive scale-up of interventions could avert 6.2 million deaths in children with cancer in this period, more than half (56.1%) of the total number of deaths otherwise projected. Taking excess mortality risk into consideration, this reduction in the number of deaths is projected to produce a gain of 318 million life-years. In addition, the global lifetime productivity gains of US$2580 billion in 2020-50 would be four times greater than the cumulative treatment costs of$594 billion, producing a net benefit of $1986 billion on the global investment: a net return of$3 for every $1 invested. In sum, the burden of childhood cancer, which has been grossly underestimated in the past, can be effectively diminished to realise massive health and economic benefits and to avert millions of needless deaths