CLINICAL NEWS
Still, TKI therapy for CML is prohibitively
expensive and not available in Cambodia,
the authors noted, highlighting the value
of international collaborations between
low-resource settings and developed
countries where these treatments are a
routine part of clinical practice.
Vireak P, Heng S, Kea S, et al. Successful
treatment of pediatric CML in Cambodia–
an international collaboration. G-20.
Improving Diagnosis and Care of
Children With Blood Diseases in the
Caribbean
Michelle Reece-Mills, MD, from the
University Hospital of the West Indies
in Kingston, Jamaica, highlighted the
work of the SickKids-Caribbean Initia-
tive (SCI) – a collaboration between The
Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto
(also known as SickKids) and seven
Caribbean institutions that launched in
2013. SCI focuses on building sustain-
able, local capacity to diagnose, treat,
and manage blood diseases in children
living in six Caribbean countries: the
Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica, Saint Lu-
cia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
and Trinidad and Tobago.
After surveying the needs of SCI part-
ners throughout the region, the program
identified several objectives to improve
patient care:
• provide training and education in
the areas of hematology/oncology,
nursing, and laboratory services
• establish best practices and improve
health outcomes through the
development and maintenance
of local hospital-based pediatric
oncology databases and treatment
protocols adapted for local use
• establish an integrated and
sustainable communication
structure for bidirectional education
among local partners
Together, these goals would help create
“a regional community of practice,” the
researchers noted. At the annual meet-
ing, Dr. Reece-Mills shared several
SCI success stories since the program’s
launch, including:
• conducting 37,578 newborn
SCD screening tests for children
in Jamaica and St. Lucia at the
Caribbean Institute for Health
Research
• expanding the workforce to
include 26 nurses from SCI partner
countries who completed the
pediatric hematology/oncology
nursing diploma program at the
University of the West Indies School
of Nursing in Trinidad
• registering 457 patients in local,
custom-built oncology databases
established in SCI partner hospitals
• establishing 7 telemedicine facilities
throughout partner countries
• publishing 9 locally adapted
supportive care and clinical care
guidance documents
Reece-Mills M, Alexis S, Allen U, et al.
SickKids-Caribbean Initiative: Col-
laborating to improve the diagnosis and
care of children with cancer and serious
blood disorders in the Caribbean. G-27.
Aye Aye Gyi, MBBS, at right, speaks with an attendee
at the Global Capacity-Building Showcase.
ASH Clinical News
47