St Jude Children's Research Hospital's International Outreach Program

Over 80% of children with cancer live in developing countries, where access to medical services is limited to varying degrees. In many of these countries, economic conditions and general health care have improved sufficiently to permit the development of more sophisticated medical services. The introduction of pediatric oncology programs becomes appropriate as deaths from malnutrition and infections decrease and cancer emerges as an important cause of childhood mortality. In the absence of such services, the worldwide war against pediatric cancer will ultimately be lost because of the rapidly growing pediatric populations in developing countries that now lack the facilities and expertise to treat childhood malignancies. We believe that the development of pediatric cancer centers in many of these countries is both appropriate and feasible. Partnerships in which established pediatric oncology centers work with the governments and private sectors of developing nations to implement key facilities are an efficient and cost-effective way to introduce such services. The challenges of these outreach efforts are significant -- as are the expected benefits.