Texas Children's Global Health Global HOPE

Botswana

Botswana has an estimated population of 2.3 million, with 1.2 million under 24 years of age. Estimates indicate that there are 450 new childhood cancer and 1,800 new blood disorder cases each year.

In 2007, Texas Children’s Hospital sent the first Pediatric Hematology Oncology physician to the Botswana-Baylor Children’s Centre of Excellence Trust to treat patients at Princess Marina Hospital. Over a 3.5-year period, that physician more than tripled the number of children diagnosed with cancer and increased survival rates 2.5-fold. Texas Children’s and Baylor-Botswana have helped to galvanize local stakeholders to build greater awareness of childhood cancer and blood diseases.

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi ranks among the world’s most densely populated and underdeveloped countries with 67% of the country’s nearly 19 million people under the age of 24. The burden of pediatric cancer and blood disorders is significant. Roughly 5,200 pediatric cancer cases occur each year with many dying of their disease without receiving any care.

In partnership with Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Malawi, Texas Children’s Hospital is providing care at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. Baylor-Malawi partners with the Malawi Ministry of Health to offer in-depth training of pediatricians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Global HOPE is improving the care and increasing survival of children with cancer and blood diseases in Malawi

Uganda

Uganda is one of the fastest growing nations in Africa, with a population exceeding 45 million; 30 million of whom are under the age of 24. Given the large pediatric population, it is estimated that 7,000 children develop cancer each year, and 22,000 babies are born with Sickle Cell Disease annually.

Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation-Uganda launched the Global HOPE program in Uganda in 2016 and primarily treat patients at The Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala. Prior to this, there was a complete absence of pediatric hematology-oncology specialists in Uganda. In partnership with Makerere University, the Ministry of Health and Mulago Hospital, Global HOPE supports a formal, 2-year clinical pediatric hematology-oncology fellowship program in Kampala that has fully trained eight pediatric hematology-oncology specialists and currently has 12 in training. In 2019 there were 42 applicants from nine African countries for the six training positions offered. In addition, Global HOPE supports an ongoing nurses training program in collaboration with the Makerere University School of Nursing.