Global Health Discussion Forum
BUILDING LOCAL CAPACITY IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF PEDIATRIC EYE CANCER
presentation by:Brenda Gallie, Ophthalmologist & Head of the RB program,
Helen Dimaras, Post-Doc Fellow, &
The Global Retinoblastoma Research Team.
Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common eye cancer of early childhood. It can affect one or both eyes, and in rare cases, a separate tumor can develop in the brain. In resource-rich countries, 97% of children with RB survive. Since 92% of children affected by RB live in less economically developed countries, this means that although curative therapy is available, the majority of children with RB will not survive.
Through initial information-gathering visits to Kenya, we have observed that access to appropriate and already available care is severely hindered by scant awareness about RB and barriers created by endemic poverty. This multinational, interdisciplinary group works to build local capacity for a sustainable, locally owned health care program that can bring RB survival in Kenya and Eastern Africa closer to that experienced in countries like Canada. This strategy includes developing coordinated care, awareness, pathology, best practice guidelines, child life, production of prosthetic eyes and research. The SickKids RB team has just returned from the Kenyan National RB Strategy Meeting in September 2008, supported in part by CIHR.
DATE | TIME | LOCATION
October 8, 200812:00PM - 1:00PM
Sick Kids Hospital, Office of International Affairs
525 University Ave,
7th Floor Conference Room
Toronto
