Global Outreach

APHON is committed to providing resources and education to pediatric hematology/oncology nurses globally. Each year 400,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer around the world¹. Eighty percent of these children live in low- and middle-income countries (L&MIC), with an average survival of 20%^2,3. This is in contrast to survival in high-income countries of above 80%^2,3. Nurses in limited-resource settings often lack access to essential pediatric oncology education and resources^4,5. Through the Global Outreach Committee (GOC), APHON supports the needs of nurses caring for children and adolescents with hematologic and oncologic diseases regardless of where they live in the world. We believe that by supporting (removed equipping) pediatric hematology/oncology nurses with the knowledge and a professional network, we will help improve childhood cancer outcomes influenced by nursing care.

This APHON Global initiative, stewarded by the Global Outreach Committee increases access to pediatric oncology nursing education and resources through providing:

• APHON Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider courses internationally
• Annually, two scholarships for nurses from low- or middle-income countries to attend the APHON Annual Conference & Exhibit
• Opportunities for APHON members to support scholarships and international initiatives for nurses from L&MIC

Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider & Instructor Programs

APHON’s Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider Program has become the standard pediatric oncology nursing certification-based course in the United States. This course was culturally adapted and translated to Spanish and for nurses practicing in Latin America.⁶

APHON would like to thank St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for its collaboration and ongoing support of this project, and the Spanish Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Subcommittee for your contribution in establishing this course.

Annual Conference International Nurse Scholarships

Global Outreach Gifts

One way for APHON members to get involved in global initiatives is by supporting a “global outreach gift”. APHON welcomes financial contributions to help our organization and its members provide support, resources, and education to pediatric hematology/oncology nurses in low- and middle-income countries.

Supporting APHON’s global nursing mission can be done in one of the following tax-deductible ways:

General Restricted Donation

• Financial donation to support APHON’s general global nursing efforts.
• Financial donation to support the APHON International Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider program.
• Financial donation to support APHON’s annual International Nurse Scholarships.
• Sponsor an APHON membership for a nurse from a low- or middle- income country.

Global Ambassadors Program

The APHON Global Ambassadors Program will highlight members engaged in service to advance global child health. Whether volunteering at a local hospital while stationed in Azerbaijan, conducting a chemotherapy/biotherapy workshop in Kenya, donating APHON resources to a pediatric oncology unit in the Philippines, or teaching from the APHON Core Curriculum in your local hospital abroad: you are APHON Global Ambassadors and we want to celebrate the work you do!

References

1. Ward, Z. J., Yeh, J. M., Bhakta, N., Frazier, A. L., & Atun, R. (2019). Estimating the total incidence of global childhood cancer: a simulation-based analysis. The Lancet Oncology, 20, e483-e493.Kjlk
2. World Health Organization [WHO]. (2018). Cancer in children. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer-in-children. 
3. World Health Organization. (‎2021)‎. CureAll framework: WHO global initiative for childhood cancer: increasing access, advancing quality, saving lives. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/347370 
4. Challinor, J. M., Hollis, R., Freidank, C., & Verhoeven, C. (2014). Educational Needs and Strategies of Pediatric Oncology Nurses in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: An International Society of Paediatric Oncology Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries Nursing Working Group Initiative. Cancer Nursing, 37(4), E36-E47. 
5. Day, S., Challinor, J., Hollis, R., Abramovitz, L., Hanaratri, Y., & Punjwani, R. (2015). Paediatric Oncology nursing care in low-and middle-income countries: A need for baseline standards. Cancer Control, 111.
6. Sullivan, C. E., Weber, L. S., Lamas, P. V., Diaz, D. N., Lu, Z., Zhao, X., Salinas-Avila, S. J., Ramos, R. J., Belderson, K. M., & Challinor, J. (2023). Expanding APHON’s Pediatric Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Provider and Instructor Program to Spanish-Speaking Countries: Pilot Series Development and Evaluation. Journal of pediatric hematology/oncology nursing, 40(2), 119–132. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527530221121729