NGO, LUTH partners to close Childhood Cancer Survival Gap

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St. Jude Global Alliance, a non-governmental organization, has strengthened its commitment to Nigeria through expanded partnerships and capacity-building initiatives with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and The Dorcas Cancer Foundation (TDCF).

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The Director for Sub-Saharan Africa and Pediatric Oncologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dr. Nickhill Bhakta, revealed this during a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos to support accelerating pediatric oncology transformation in Nigeria. “No child should die at the dawn of life,” is the mission that drives St. Jude’s global alliance to combat childhood cancer through research, education, innovation, and clinical partnerships.

Dr. Bhakta said the focus is on empowering the team at LUTH and their foundation partners to ensure more children across Nigeria have access to quality treatment. “Currently, childhood cancer survival rates in Nigeria hover below 20 per cent, a stark contrast to over 80 per cent in countries like the United States,” he said. “This is one of the greatest health-related disparities in modern medicine, and St. Jude is determined to help close this gap.

The initiative targets a global survival rate of 60 per cent for childhood cancer by 2030. Dr. Adedayo Joseph, Executive Director/Founder of The Dorcas Cancer Foundation, said the visit highlighted the importance of collaborative action to address the unique challenges facing countries in delivering childhood cancer care. “For the first time in Nigeria and West Africa, young people with brain tumours, kidney tumours and even leukemias have access to modern radiotherapy with techniques such as intensity modulated (IMRT) and Volumetric Arc Radiation (VMAT) at LUTH,” she said.

Prof. Edamisan Temiye, Consultant Pediatric Oncologist at LUTH, said the collaboration between Nigeria and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is driving significant progress in childhood cancer treatment. “One of the most significant achievements of this partnership has been the dramatic improvement in childhood leukaemia survival rates in Nigeria, with about 40-50 per cent of leukaemia cases surviving, compared to almost zero back then,” he said.

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However, Temiye emphasized that critical challenges remain, particularly in molecular diagnosis. “Currently, samples are shipped to South Africa, where the volume of tests from Nigeria has begun to overwhelm partner labs,” he said. LUTH has acquired critical equipment such as a flow cytometer and fluorescent microscope to address this gap.

Korede Akindele, Chief Operating Officer of TDCF, said the visit is a crucial opportunity to drive collective national progress and strengthen shared goals, such as improving survival rates and quality of care for Nigerian children facing cancer. “St Jude’s presence reflects the deepening of a global-local alliance dedicated to saving lives and building resilient pediatric cancer health systems in Nigeria,” Akindele said.

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