Tanzanian NGO Tumaini la Maisha (TLM) provides both clinical and non-clinical support to Tanzanian children with cancer and their families.
Its mission is to ensure that children with cancer in Tanzania have appropriate access to quality services, aiming for cure rates comparable to resource-rich settings, with the vision that no child in Tanzania suffers or dies unnecessarily from cancer.
In terms of clinical support, TLM actively engages in the procurement of chemotherapy and other related drugs including palliative care drugs, and training of health professionals and specialists to enhance the quality of care provided to children with cancer.
In its non-clinical programmes, TLM addresses a number of aspects that are crucial to the well-being of paediatric patients. This includes ensuring access to education for children through schooling initiatives, providing emotional support through play therapy, offering essential nutritional support, alleviating travel burdens for children and their families through transport programmes, and empowering parents or caregivers through skills development programmes.
The impact of TLM’s efforts is evident in the transformation of the childhood cancer landscape in Tanzania. 12 years ago, before TLM began, 10 children a day developed cancer and 9 out of 10 children lost their battle with the disease. Today the survival rate is over 50% with a 900% increase in children presenting for treatment.
TLM has established the National Childhood Cancer Network (NCCN) with the aim of extending access to all aspects of paediatric oncology care to as many regions as possible. Currently, it has 13 partner sites (government and faith based hospitals) and aspires to add 30 more to the network in the next 5-10 years, so that no child is more than a 4-hour drive from an outreach centre.
TLM aims to establish sustainable practices that ensure the continuous availability of palliative care medications and nutritional support, exploring long-term partnerships and sharing the financial costs across a number of donors; engaging with local healthcare infrastructure, and identifying avenues for ongoing funding. The sustainability plan is crafted to guarantee that the positive impact of the project extends well into the future, creating lasting benefits for paediatric oncology patients.
The Trustees were won over by the networking aspect and the holistic approach to the children’s care.
In addition, the project implements a robust monitoring and evaluation framework. Regular assessments will be conducted to gauge the response of paediatric patients to palliative care medications and nutritional support. Data collection will include parameters such as medication effectiveness, nutritional intake, and overall patient well-being. This continuous monitoring will not only provide valuable insights into the success of the interventions but also guide ongoing improvements and refinements to the care protocols. It establishes a feedback loop that is integral to maintaining the project’s adaptability and responsiveness to the evolving needs of paediatric oncology patients.
