This year the theme of World Cancer Day is “closing the care gap.” This message aligns strongly with BLFA’s own work to provide accessible comprehensive cancer care to children in lower-income nations, because where you live shouldn’t determine if you live. In recognition of this day, we are celebrating the technology advancements that help to close the care gap in Africa, specifically our recent work using remote training on newly donated state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.
2021 saw the BLFA’s Pathology Improvement Program (PIP), along with our corporate partner Beckman Coulter and our African collaborators in both Kampala, Uganda and Eldoret, Kenya, successfully implement a state-of-the-art technology called 10-color flow cytometry, which is the same method used for diagnosing blood-related cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma in the US and other higher-income nations. The success of this implementation, which was accompanied by a series of online trainings led by PIP Director Dr. Steve Kussick, is particularly impressive because it was all done remotely due of travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more about 10-color flow cytometry:
The next PIP focus in both Uganda and Kenya will be enhancement of more traditional microscope-based diagnosis using glass slides, using another specialized technique called immunohistochemistry, or IHC. These 2 labs combined serve a population of approximately 70 million people, with 66% of this group being in Uganda and the other 33% in Western Kenya.
BLFA strives to provide accessible comprehensive cancer care in traditionally underserved communities, because where you live shouldn’t determine if you live.
Support our efforts to continue closing the pediatric care gap: