From Lebanon to Zimbabwe, 15 childhood cancer foundations join the St. Jude Global Alliance

This month, 15 new members joined the St. Jude Global Alliance, a worldwide network of institutions working to improve survival rates for pediatric cancer and catastrophic diseases. In a historic first for the Alliance, these new partners are fundraising organizations rather than medical institutions, each dedicated to raising funds for hospitals in their home countries.

Each year, an estimated 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer. Globally, approximately 90% of children with cancer live in low- and middle-income countries, and far too many of these children lack access to adequate diagnosis and treatment. Compounding the problem is limited public funding for pediatric research and care, and imbalances in the technology available to raise needed funds.  Most of these children will unnecessarily die from their diseases.

“Where a child is born should not dictate their health destiny -- but that is the reality faced by far too many kids and families around the world. We are delighted and humbled to see these mission-driven organizations join the St. Jude Global Alliance as part of a concerted effort to address global healthcare inequities for children with catastrophic diseases,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., president and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The Alliance is a truly international movement of clinicians, researchers, fundraisers and marketers from all corners of the world each doing their part to ensure that every child, no matter where they live, has a better chance to survive.”

Adding these foundations, and others like them, to the Alliance furthers the global collaboration among hospitals and fundraising organizations to advance the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children. Everywhere. These new partners will gain access to international networking and educational opportunities while strengthening their connections with like-minded organizations across the globe. By drawing on expertise developed over decades by St. Jude and ALSAC, these foundations will be able to accelerate their work raising critical funds and changing the trajectory of survival rates in their country.

The new partners hail from 15 countries on five continents:

• Lebanon: Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon
• Armenia: City of Smile Charitable Foundation
• Chile: Fundación Nuestros Hijos
  
• Haiti: Fondation Haitïenne Anti-Cancer Infantile
  
• India: Cankids Kidscan
• Mexico: Casa de la Amistad para Niños con Cáncer I.A.P.
• Moldova: Viata fără Leucemie
• Mongolia: National Cancer Council
• Morrocco: Association des Parents et Amis des Enfants Atteints de Cancer “L’Avenir”
• Poland: Fundacja Herosi
• South Africa: CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation
• Ukraine: Tabletochki Charity Foundation
  
• Uruguay: Fundación Perez Scremini
  
• Zambia: Kayula Childhood Cancer Foundation
• Zimbabwe: KidzCan Zimbabwe Children’s Cancer Relief

“We, at the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon, believe that cancer is best addressed together; and our membership in the St. Jude Global Alliance emphasizes our longstanding partnership and leadership in service of children with cancer in the Arab region and beyond,” said Hana Chaar Choueib, CCCL general manager. 

The St. Jude Global Alliance was formed in 2018 to bring together individuals and institutions dedicated to the shared vision of improving access to quality healthcare and increasing survival rates of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases  with a specific focus on low and middle-income countries.

See the international impact of the work of St. Jude Global for children with catastrophic diseases as it brings people together to help make access to quality care possible for every child, everywhere.