Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S
IntroductionInitiated in June 2019, this collaborative effort involved 15 public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan. The primary objective was to enhance the capacity for pediatric neuro-oncology (PNO) care, supported by a My Child Matters/Foundation S grant.MethodsWe aimed to establish and op...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Oncology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1325167/full |
| _version_ | 1827572688474865664 |
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| author | Naureen Mushtaq Bilal Mazhar Qureshi Gohar Javed Nabeel Ashfaque Sheikh Saqib Kamran Bakhshi Altaf Ali Laghari Syed Ather Enam Shayan Sirat Maheen Anwar Kiran Hilal Arsalan Kabir Alia Ahmad Amber Goraya Anum Salman Mistry Aqeela Rashid Ata Ur Rehman Maaz Muhammad Atif Munawar Atiq Ahmed Khan Farrah Bashir Hina Hashmi Kamran Saeed Kumail Khandwala Lal Rehman Michael C. Dewan Muhammad Saghir Khan Muneeb uddin Karim Najma Shaheen Nida Zia Nuzhat Yasmeen Raheela Mahmood Riaz Ahmed Raja Memon Salman Kirmani Shahzadi Resham Shazia Kadri Shazia Riaz Syed Ahmer Hamid Tariq Ghafoor Uzma Imam Yaseen Rauf Mushtaq Zulfiqar Ali Rana Eric Bouffet Khurram Minhas |
| author_facet | Naureen Mushtaq Bilal Mazhar Qureshi Gohar Javed Nabeel Ashfaque Sheikh Saqib Kamran Bakhshi Altaf Ali Laghari Syed Ather Enam Shayan Sirat Maheen Anwar Kiran Hilal Arsalan Kabir Alia Ahmad Amber Goraya Anum Salman Mistry Aqeela Rashid Ata Ur Rehman Maaz Muhammad Atif Munawar Atiq Ahmed Khan Farrah Bashir Hina Hashmi Kamran Saeed Kumail Khandwala Lal Rehman Michael C. Dewan Muhammad Saghir Khan Muneeb uddin Karim Najma Shaheen Nida Zia Nuzhat Yasmeen Raheela Mahmood Riaz Ahmed Raja Memon Salman Kirmani Shahzadi Resham Shazia Kadri Shazia Riaz Syed Ahmer Hamid Tariq Ghafoor Uzma Imam Yaseen Rauf Mushtaq Zulfiqar Ali Rana Eric Bouffet Khurram Minhas |
| author_sort | Naureen Mushtaq |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionInitiated in June 2019, this collaborative effort involved 15 public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan. The primary objective was to enhance the capacity for pediatric neuro-oncology (PNO) care, supported by a My Child Matters/Foundation S grant.MethodsWe aimed to establish and operate Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards (MTBs) on a national scale, covering 76% of the population (185.7 million people). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTBs transitioned to videoconferencing. Fifteen hospitals with essential infrastructure participated, holding monthly sessions addressing diagnostic and treatment challenges. Patient cases were anonymized for confidentiality. Educational initiatives, originally planned as in-person events, shifted to a virtual format, enabling continued implementation and collaboration despite pandemic constraints.ResultsA total of 124 meetings were conducted, addressing 545 cases. To augment knowledge, awareness, and expertise, over 40 longitudinal lectures were organized for healthcare professionals engaged in PNO care. Additionally, two symposia with international collaborators and keynote speakers were also held to raise national awareness. The project achieved significant milestones, including the development of standardized national treatment protocols for low-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, and high-grade glioma. Further protocols are currently under development. Notably, Pakistan's first pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship program was launched, producing two graduates and increasing the number of trained pediatric neuro-oncologists in the country to three.DiscussionThe initiative exemplifies the potential for capacity building in PNO within low-middle income countries. Success is attributed to intra-national twinning programs, emphasizing collaborative efforts. Efforts are underway to establish a national case registry for PNO, ensuring a comprehensive and organized approach to monitoring and managing cases. This collaborative initiative, supported by the My Child Matters/Foundation S grant, showcases the success of capacity building in pediatric neuro-oncology in low-middle income countries. The establishment of treatment protocols, fellowship programs, and regional tumor boards highlights the potential for sustainable improvements in PNO care. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:16:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d60f6ac43734452be8ef1b19382eb00 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2234-943X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:16:19Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Oncology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d60f6ac43734452be8ef1b19382eb002024-02-29T13:21:28ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Oncology2234-943X2024-02-011410.3389/fonc.2024.13251671325167Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation SNaureen Mushtaq0Bilal Mazhar Qureshi1Gohar Javed2Nabeel Ashfaque Sheikh3Saqib Kamran Bakhshi4Altaf Ali Laghari5Syed Ather Enam6Shayan Sirat Maheen Anwar7Kiran Hilal8Arsalan Kabir9Alia Ahmad10Amber Goraya11Anum Salman Mistry12Aqeela Rashid13Ata Ur Rehman Maaz14Muhammad Atif Munawar15Atiq Ahmed Khan16Farrah Bashir17Hina Hashmi18Kamran Saeed19Kumail Khandwala20Lal Rehman21Michael C. Dewan22Muhammad Saghir Khan23Muneeb uddin Karim24Najma Shaheen25Nida Zia26Nuzhat Yasmeen27Raheela Mahmood28Riaz Ahmed Raja Memon29Salman Kirmani30Shahzadi Resham31Shazia Kadri32Shazia Riaz33Syed Ahmer Hamid34Tariq Ghafoor35Uzma Imam36Yaseen Rauf Mushtaq37Zulfiqar Ali Rana38Eric Bouffet39Khurram Minhas40Peadiatric Oncology Section, Department of Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanRadiation Oncology Section, Department of Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanNeurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanMedical Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Karachi, PakistanNeurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanNeurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanNeurosurgery Section, Department of Surgery, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Radiology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Oncology, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanDepartment of Pediatric Oncology, Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, PakistanDepartment of Radiology Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan0Department of Pediatric Oncology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan1Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar2Department of Radiation Oncology, Northwest General Hospital and Research Center, Peshawar, Pakistan3Department of Neurosurgery, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan4Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan4Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Aga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan5Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan6Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States7Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Madinah, Saudi Arabia8Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan8Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan9Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan5Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad, Pakistan0Atomic Energy Medical Centre, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan1Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanAga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan2Jinnah Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan3Children’s Hospital and Institute of Child Health, Lahore, Pakistan9Indus Hospital & Health Network, Karachi, Pakistan4Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan5Child Aid Association, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan6Neurosurgery Department, Patel Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan7Children’s Hospital & The Institute of Child Health Multan, Multan, Pakistan8The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, ON, CanadaAga Khan University, Karachi, PakistanIntroductionInitiated in June 2019, this collaborative effort involved 15 public and private sector hospitals in Pakistan. The primary objective was to enhance the capacity for pediatric neuro-oncology (PNO) care, supported by a My Child Matters/Foundation S grant.MethodsWe aimed to establish and operate Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards (MTBs) on a national scale, covering 76% of the population (185.7 million people). In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MTBs transitioned to videoconferencing. Fifteen hospitals with essential infrastructure participated, holding monthly sessions addressing diagnostic and treatment challenges. Patient cases were anonymized for confidentiality. Educational initiatives, originally planned as in-person events, shifted to a virtual format, enabling continued implementation and collaboration despite pandemic constraints.ResultsA total of 124 meetings were conducted, addressing 545 cases. To augment knowledge, awareness, and expertise, over 40 longitudinal lectures were organized for healthcare professionals engaged in PNO care. Additionally, two symposia with international collaborators and keynote speakers were also held to raise national awareness. The project achieved significant milestones, including the development of standardized national treatment protocols for low-grade glioma, medulloblastoma, and high-grade glioma. Further protocols are currently under development. Notably, Pakistan's first pediatric neuro-oncology fellowship program was launched, producing two graduates and increasing the number of trained pediatric neuro-oncologists in the country to three.DiscussionThe initiative exemplifies the potential for capacity building in PNO within low-middle income countries. Success is attributed to intra-national twinning programs, emphasizing collaborative efforts. Efforts are underway to establish a national case registry for PNO, ensuring a comprehensive and organized approach to monitoring and managing cases. This collaborative initiative, supported by the My Child Matters/Foundation S grant, showcases the success of capacity building in pediatric neuro-oncology in low-middle income countries. The establishment of treatment protocols, fellowship programs, and regional tumor boards highlights the potential for sustainable improvements in PNO care.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1325167/fullpediatric neuro-oncologycapacity-buildingmultidisciplinary tumor boardstreatment protocolsfellowship programlow-middle income countries |
| spellingShingle | Naureen Mushtaq Bilal Mazhar Qureshi Gohar Javed Nabeel Ashfaque Sheikh Saqib Kamran Bakhshi Altaf Ali Laghari Syed Ather Enam Shayan Sirat Maheen Anwar Kiran Hilal Arsalan Kabir Alia Ahmad Amber Goraya Anum Salman Mistry Aqeela Rashid Ata Ur Rehman Maaz Muhammad Atif Munawar Atiq Ahmed Khan Farrah Bashir Hina Hashmi Kamran Saeed Kumail Khandwala Lal Rehman Michael C. Dewan Muhammad Saghir Khan Muneeb uddin Karim Najma Shaheen Nida Zia Nuzhat Yasmeen Raheela Mahmood Riaz Ahmed Raja Memon Salman Kirmani Shahzadi Resham Shazia Kadri Shazia Riaz Syed Ahmer Hamid Tariq Ghafoor Uzma Imam Yaseen Rauf Mushtaq Zulfiqar Ali Rana Eric Bouffet Khurram Minhas Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S Frontiers in Oncology pediatric neuro-oncology capacity-building multidisciplinary tumor boards treatment protocols fellowship program low-middle income countries |
| title | Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S |
| title_full | Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S |
| title_fullStr | Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S |
| title_full_unstemmed | Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S |
| title_short | Capacity building for pediatric neuro-oncology in Pakistan- a project by my child matters program of Foundation S |
| title_sort | capacity building for pediatric neuro oncology in pakistan a project by my child matters program of foundation s |
| topic | pediatric neuro-oncology capacity-building multidisciplinary tumor boards treatment protocols fellowship program low-middle income countries |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2024.1325167/full |
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