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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Med Paediatr Oncol 2022; 43(01): 120-123
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1742444
Brief Communication

Building a Foundation for the Care of Children with Cancer in Rural North India

Sumanth Nagabushan 
1   Department of Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia
,
Prashanth J. Rao
2   University of New South Wales, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
,
Roopa Ganta 
3   Department of Head and Neck Oncology, Hanuman Prasad Poddar Cancer Hospital, ChildCan Cancer Foundation, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Shailja Chaturvedi
4   Penrith Psychiatry Clinic, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
5   ChildCan Cancer Foundation, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
› Author Affiliations Funding None required.
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Abstract

One of India's biggest challenges is to improve its global standing by increasing healthcare access and outcomes for children with cancer, with inferior overall survivorship compared with its Western counterparts. In conjunction with the government's efforts, private enterprise is crucial in delivering optimal cancer care consistently to its vast and diverse pediatric population, despite existing limitations. This article describes the successful implementation of a value-based, collaborative clinical and research framework by a philanthropic foundation in a rural Northern Indian city to establish and run a local childhood cancer service. It is proof of concept that substantial change could be brought about at grass roots level through resourceful partnerships and reduce prevailing imbalance in pediatric oncology service provision.

Keywords

India - pediatric oncology - charitable foundation - childhood cancer

Authors' Contributions

SN was involved in conceptualization, designing, definition of content, literature review, manuscript preparation, editing and review. PJR edited and reviewed the manuscript. RG acquired data and edited and reviewed the manuscript. SC was involved in conceptualization, designing, definition of content, manuscript preparation, editing and review.




Publication History

Article published online:
15 February 2022

© 2022. Indian Society of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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