Since the last SIOP meeting in Toronto the local organizing committee in South Africa has spent most of their time to prepare for the Cape Town SIOP meeting in October 2015 (Alan Davidson: Chair; Mariana Kruger – Continental President Africa, Marc Hendricks – Cape Town, David Reynders – Pretoria, Janet Poole – Johannesburg, Linda Wainwright – Johannesburg, Jeanette Parks – Cape Town, Monica Vaithinlingum – SACCSG President, David Stones – Bloemfontein, Kenneth Dollman – ICCPO, Carl Quieros – CHOC, Anthony Figaji – Cape Town, Yasmin Goga – Durban, Julian Cutland – CHOC). The program has been finalised and several international speakers have agreed to participate, making the program very exciting. Currently there are 1076 registered participants, with the majority coming from the United Kingdom, followed by the USA and South Africa.

Marc Hendricks and Jeanette Parks have organized a workshop preceding the actual conference and the program is excellent. They have obtained additional funding to ensure scholarships for Africand delegates from Novartis, Aspen, the SACCSG, Key Oncologics, Netcare, Adcock Ingram, and Baroque Medical. The topics addressed are important for everybody and at the moment seemingly will be well attended by African delegates.

Other projects in Africa include the twinning program between Stellenbosch and Cameroon under the leadership of Proff Peter Hesseling and Mariana Kruger, which is going exceedinly well. Dr Francine Kouya has enrolled for a two year fellowship at Stellenbosch to improve her oncology skills and is funded by the Cameroon Baptists, BT Thyer Trust and WCC. Nurse Joel Kaah has been enrolled for postgraduate training in palliative care at University of Cape Town, supported by WCC. Several succesful treatment protocols have been implemented with improved outcome for Burkitt lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma and nephroblastoma, which will be presented at SIOP 2015. Burkitt lymphoma has a more than 50% long term survival and Kaposi sarcoma survival has also improved. The first modified treatment protocol for Retinoblastoma, which is now the second most common cancer, was implemented and outcome will be probably be presented at SIOP 2016. The current most important project for which funding is sought, is the building of a parent house at each treatment hospital (Mbingo, Mutengene, Banso). Francine Kouya and Glen Mbah have organized an excellent symposium at Bamenda CBC HQ, attended by specialists from the Bamenda Provincial Hospital, Sacocah Rehabiliation Centre and potential donors for the Stellenbosch-Cameroon Twinning Project. World Childhood Cancer day was celebrated with a concert held at Banso hospital.

The first collaborative PODC nephroblastoma protocol including Ghana, Tanzania, Cameroon and Malawi under the leadership of Trijn Israels are doing well and further presentations will be presented at SIOP 2015. The GFAOP is successfully combining Francophone countries in joint treatment protocols for paediatric cancers and assist in capacity building through several diploma and certificate courses in paediatric oncologys for doctors and nurses.

CONTINENTAL REPORT FOR AFRICA SEPTEMBER 2015