Training Pediatric Hematologists / Oncologists for Capacity Building in Ethiopia

Background: Human resources are essential to the sustainability and scalability of health interventions. A barrier to global cancer efforts has been the scarcity of trained pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Studies highlight this inequity and the need to develop a global PHO workforce through allocation of financial resources, strengthening of healthcare infrastructure, and development of innovative training programs. Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa. Because of recent reduction in infant mortality and improved treatment of Malaria and HIV in Ethiopia, non-communicable diseases contribute an increasing proportion of childhood mortality. The annual incidence of pediatric cancer in Ethiopia is estimated to be 6000-8000 cases. Prior to 2013, no dedicated PHO programs existed in Ethiopia, and there was no formal process for training local physicians in PHO. The following intervention aimed to increase local capacity for treating childhood cancer through the creation of a formal two-year PHO fellowship.