Archive for category Press
Cure2Children at the Annual Congress of the European Bone Marrow Transplantation Society
Posted by Lawrence Faulkner in Bone Marrow Transplantation, Pakistan, Press, Projects, Thalassemia on March 25th, 2010
by Lawrence Faulkner
It was a great pleasure to present what we are doing at one of the most important international scientific conferences.
In December 2009, a summary of the results from the network supported by Cure2Children for the treatment of thalassemia in Pakistan, was subject to evaluation by a commission from the European group for Bone Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), which considers the relevance to the professional community and the acceptance for presentation at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the European Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation in Vienna, held March 21 to 24. This success is very important not only for the official recognition of our activity, but also to strengthen the network of professional collaborations. This congress is a reference point for scientific associations and professionals from around the world including the Middle East and Asia.
Amongst the relevant advances that emerged from the conference, is the increasing use of therapies derived from bone marrow transplantation (cell therapy) that can contribute to more effective treatment of leukemia while reducing toxicity, and the ability to perform transplant procedures more tolerably. Progress in the area for the use of alternative family donors (e.g. the mother) gives hope that this opportunity can be extended to contexts with more limited resources and technologies. Currently, in fact, in most low income realities, a transplant is only performed from a compatible brother or sister, which excludes a large proportion of children who could benefit and who do not have a compatible donor in the family.
Another important piece of data emerged from a report by the Middle Eastern bone marrow transplant group (EMBMT), is the severe shortage of facilities able to provide care for many serious illnesses of children in the region that stretches from North Africa to Pakistan. In fact, in relation to population size, the number of centers for bone marrow transplantation are less than one fortieth of those existing in western Europe or North America.
In conclusion, I’m very happy with the direction in which we are investing the efforts of Cure2Children and those of our donors, and also that an increasing number of professionals are collaborating with us.
Pims sets up Oncology unit at Children Hospital
Posted by Luigi Clemente in Pakistan, Press, Thalassemia on June 5th, 2009
By Fozia Azam
ISLAMABAD-Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has established the first Paediatric Oncology Unit in Children Hospital PIMS, much-needed treatment facility in public sector hospitals of twin cities.
Federal Minister of Health Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani was to inaugurate the Paediatric Oncology unit but he did not turn up and the Executive Director PIMS had to perform the opening ceremony.
Col Antoni Pennai Military AttachT Italian Embassy, Nariko Prati wife of Italian Ambassador, ED PIMS Dr Altaf Hussain, Dr Lawrence Faulkner of cure2Children Foundation, Italy, Dr Nuzhat Yasmeen Assistant Professor Paediatric Oncology and Dr Sadaf Khalid Pakistan Branch Co-ordinator of Cure2Children Foundation were also present on the occasion.
The 8-beded unit is also has an isolation facility and a minor procedure room for chemotherapy and Bone Marrow aspiration therapeutic biopsies.
While speaking at the inauguration of the POU and concluding session of the symposium on Bone Marrow in Thalasemia Children the ED PIMS Dr Altaf Hussain termed the initiative as another major achievement after start of the first Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
He said PC-I of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in PIMS is being prepared and soon it would be submitted on priority basis so that the facility may be extended to the large population.
With reference to the concluding session of the symposium on Bone Marrow in Thalasemia Children, he said, “Bone Marrow Transplant Unit is a beautiful example of Public Private Partnership. Pims and Cure2Children Foundation are providing free services of Bone marrow transplantation to poor patients who can not afford the expensive treatment”.
Children cancer unit opens at PIMS
Posted by Luigi Clemente in Pakistan, Press, Thalassemia on June 4th, 2009
City News, Thursday, June 04, 2009
By Shahina Maqbool
Islamabad
The first Paediatric Oncology Unit in any public sector hospital of Rawalpindi and Islamabad was inaugurated at the Children’s Hospital located inside the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here on Wednesday.
Even though the 8-bed inpatient facility, with a minor procedure room for chemotherapy and bone marrow aspiration therapeutic biopsies and isolation facilities for immuno-compromised patients, was critically needed, it will not be sufficient to meet the requirements of people located within the large catchments area, which the hospital serves. What PIMS actually needs is a separate oncology centre with skilled staff and diagnostic facilities for treatment. Neither the Minister for Health, nor the chairman of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal or the Ambassador of Italy turned up for the event, as was expected.
This resulted in a situation where Dr. Altaf Hussain, who is temporarily holding the position of executive director of PIMS and is responsible for running the hospital’s affairs on a day-to-day basis, performed the inauguration himself. Prominent among others were Dr. Lawrence Faulkner of cure2Children Foundation, Italy, Dr. Nuzhat Yasmeen, Assistant Professor Paediatric Oncology, and Dr. Sadaf Khalid, Pakistan branch coordinator of Cure2Children Foundation. Read the rest of this entry »
The official meeting between the Italian and Pakistani Health Ministers
Posted by Lawrence Faulkner in Pakistan, Press, Thalassemia on May 15th, 2009
Thursday, 14 May at 11:00 am Cure2Children, represented by its scientific coordinator Dr Lawrence Faulkner, was part of the delegation together with the Italian Vice Minister Fazio, that met with the Minister of Health of Pakistan Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani. Among the others present were Prof. Maria Luisa Lavitrano, Director Fazio Deputy Minister, Prof. Enrico Garaci, President Institute of Health, Prof. Alessandro Nanni Costa, Director of the National Transplant Centre, and Dr. Pietro Malara, Bilateral Agreements Office Director.
On the agenda is the collaboration for the production of medicines and vaccines, and the second point on the bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of thalassemia ,of which the extended notes prepared by Dr Pietro Malara are given below. Read the rest of this entry »