Departments of Pediatrics, Pathology and Medicine, McMaster University and McMaster Children's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2014 Feb;61(2):345-54. doi: 10.1002/pbc.24802. Epub 2013 Oct 18.
Bridging the survival gap for children with cancer, between those (the great majority) in low and middle income countries (LMIC) and their economically advantaged counterparts, is a challenge that has been addressed by twinning institutions in high income countries with centers in LMIC. The long-established partnership between a Central American consortium--Asociación de Hemato-Oncología Pediátrica de Centro América (AHOPCA)--and institutions in Europe and North America provides a striking example of such a twinning program. The demonstrable success of this endeavor offers a model for improving the health outcomes of children with cancer worldwide. As this remarkable enterprise celebrates its 15th anniversary, it is appropriate to reflect on its origin, subsequent growth and development, and the lessons it provides for others embarking on or already engaged in similar journeys. Many challenges have been encountered and not all yet overcome. Commitment to the endeavor, collaboration in its achievements and determination to overcome obstacles collectively are the hallmarks that stamp AHOPCA as a particularly successful partnership in advancing pediatric oncology in the developing world.
为了缩小中低收入国家（LMIC）和经济发达国家儿童癌症存活率之间的差距，高收入国家的医疗机构与 LMIC 中心建立了结对关系，以此来应对这一挑战。中美洲血液肿瘤协会（AHOPCA）与欧洲和北美的机构之间长期存在的伙伴关系就是这种结对项目的一个显著例子。这一努力的显著成功为改善全球癌症儿童的健康结果提供了一个模式。在这个非凡的项目庆祝成立 15 周年之际，我们应该反思它的起源、后续的成长和发展，以及它为其他正在或已经开始类似旅程的人提供的经验教训。已经遇到了许多挑战，但并非所有挑战都已克服。对这一事业的承诺、对其成就的合作以及共同克服障碍的决心是 AHOPCA 作为一个在发展中世界推进儿科肿瘤学的特别成功的伙伴关系的标志。
