{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T14:01:14Z","timestamp":1790172074721,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767571200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]],"date-time":"2026-01-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1767571200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Pediatric Blood &amp;amp; Cancer"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Childhood cancers remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low\u2010 and middle\u2010income countries (LMICs), where nearly 90% of the world's children live. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) and St Jude Children's Research Hospital launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) with the goal of increasing global survival to at least 60% by 2030. Achieving this requires a systematic approach to understanding country\u2010level contexts to guide national planning.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The Pediatric Oncology Facility Integrated Local Evaluation (PrOFILE) tool was implemented in Cameroon in 2021 to evaluate the national context for childhood cancer care, alongside facility and financing assessments. This paper reports how the PrOFILE assessment informed planning and describes the translation of results into an actionable plan. Stakeholders used an impact\u2013effort matrix to prioritize recommendations. A follow\u2010up review was conducted in 2023 to document progress after two years. Diagnosis\u2010 and treatment\u2010specific components of the assessment are being reported separately.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The assessment and workshops yielded four overarching themes: (1) workforce development and training of physicians, nurses, supportive care staff, and palliative care providers; (2) strengthening diagnosis and treatment capacity including pathology, timeliness of solid tumor diagnosis, chemotherapy safety, and subspecialty access; (3) improving financial and social support systems including local fundraising and family support; and (4) enhancing patient outcomes through reduction of early deaths and upfront integration of palliative care. At two years, measurable progress had been achieved, particularly in workforce training, expansion of psychosocial and financial support, and integration of palliative care, although gaps remain in diagnostic capacity and government financing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The PrOFILE tool facilitated a robust, data\u2010driven prioritization process for childhood cancer care in Cameroon. Two years on, early gains are evident, though sustained efforts are required to address persisting diagnostic and financing barriers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/1545-5017.70094","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,6]],"date-time":"2026-01-06T05:57:26Z","timestamp":1767679046000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Using the Pediatric Oncology Facility Integrated Local Evaluation (PrOFILE) Tool to Evaluate and Improve Pediatric Oncology Systems in Cameroon: A Focus on National, Facility, and Financing Contexts"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"73","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5512-9624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Glenn Mbah","family":"Afungchwi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences The University of Bamenda  Bamenda Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Angele","family":"Pondy\u2010Ongotsoyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University of Yaounde 1  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mukete","family":"Sona","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Committee for the Fight Against Cancer Ministry of Public Health  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francine","family":"Kouya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services  Bamenda Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-0938-4513","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alberic","family":"Ndonku","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oncology Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services  Bamenda Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Frambo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Non\u2010communicable Diseases Control Program Clinton Health Access Initiative  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Berthe","family":"Mapoko","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University of Yaounde 1  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Prisca","family":"Youwa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Committee for the Fight Against Cancer Ministry of Public Health  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3253-0984","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yvonne","family":"Waindim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Sciences The University of Bamenda  Bamenda Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ayomide","family":"Omotola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St Jude Global St Jude Children's Research Hospital  Memphis Tennessee USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Friedrich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St Jude Global St Jude Children's Research Hospital  Memphis Tennessee USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nickhill","family":"Bhakta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"St Jude Global St Jude Children's Research Hospital  Memphis Tennessee USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Ndom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Committee for the Fight Against Cancer Ministry of Public Health  Yaounde Cameroon"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_9_2_1","volume-title":"WHO | Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profiles 2018","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_3_1","unstructured":"WHO Leading Causes of Death(2023) https:\/\/www.who.int\/data\/gho\/data\/themes\/mortality\u2010and\u2010global\u2010health\u2010estimates\/ghe\u2010leading\u2010causes\u2010of\u2010death."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30752-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_5_1","unstructured":"UN General Assembly (73rd sess.: 2018\u20132019) UN. General Assembly. High\u2010Level Meeting of Heads of State and Government on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (2018\u00a0: New York) (eds).Political declaration of the 3rd High\u2010Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non\u2010Communicable Diseases: Resolution(UN 2018) https:\/\/digitallibrary.un.org\/record\/1648984."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_6_1","volume-title":"National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Cancer Control 2020\u20132024","author":"Ministry of Public Health, Cameroon","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_7_1","volume-title":"WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer","author":"International Society of Paediatric Oncology","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(18)30123-2"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(08)70194-3"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001656"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-4642(22)00161-4"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_12_1","volume-title":"St. Jude Pediatric Oncology Facility Integrated Local Evaluation (PrOFILE) Tool Version 2","author":"Global Metrics and Performance Unit","year":"2020"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.61473\/001c.122131"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0135230"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1126\/science.aaw4892"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_16_1","unstructured":"Alberta Medical Association.Impact\u2013Effort Chart(AMA 2025) https:\/\/www.albertadoctors.org\/resource\u2010centre\/quality\u2010improvement\u2010resources\/impact\u2010effort\u2010chart\/."},{"key":"e_1_2_9_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.22032"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(21)00720-8"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(20)30022-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(14)70213-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.29345"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/MOP.0000000000000483"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jcpo.2013.06.001"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.29367"},{"key":"e_1_2_9_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pbc.28997"}],"container-title":["Pediatric Blood &amp; Cancer"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/1545-5017.70094","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/1545-5017.70094","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/1545-5017.70094","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T13:13:29Z","timestamp":1790169209000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/1545-5017.70094"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/1545-5017.70094"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/1545-5017.70094","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1545-5009","1545-5017"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1545-5009","type":"print"},{"value":"1545-5017","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,5]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-10-06","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2025-12-17","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-01-05","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e70094"}}