Regional Hubs are international offices that help scale and bolster the impact of global engagement and projects to address the growing size, complexity, and comprehensiveness of St. Jude Global and the St. Jude Global Alliance.
The Challenge
Since 2018, St. Jude Global and the Global Alliance have grown rapidly, making significant strides in advancing the mission to improve the survival rates of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases, worldwide.
This growth has highlighted the need for additional regionally-based support beyond the Memphis-based team to manage and execute operations and continue to deliver impact.
The Opportunity
St. Jude Global and the Global Alliance have a powerful opportunity to build upon the groundwork we have laid together and leverage in-region representation to optimize the impact and efficiency of St. Jude Global programs, accelerate progress towards access to quality care and position St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as a leader in the global child health field.
The Solution
A regionally-based St. Jude workforce in each of the St. Jude Global operating regions will enable us to continue to deliver on the mission globally and be more present where the need is greatest.
Regional Hubs provide the capacity, localized experience and knowledge and global pediatric health expertise to continue to build a better future for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases throughout the world.
Regional Hub Strategic Priorities
1. Enhance & Expand Regional Engagement
Regional Hubs increase St. Jude Global engagement with institution and foundation members of the Global Alliance, government entities and local, regional and global organizations by deepening relationships with existing partners and cultivating new, impactful connections.
This involves strategically expanding program reach to new institutions while strengthening collaborative frameworks with current partners to maximize regional engagement.
2. Enable & Empower Priority-Setting Locally
Establishing regionally-based St. Jude teams empowers closer collaboration with Global Alliance members to identify and address specific local challenges and opportunities. This localized presence facilitates decentralized decision-making, ensuring that priority-setting is driven regionally.
Regional Hubs will help us foster deeper connections, better understand local needs and co-develop tailored programs. This approach ensures that initiatives are relevant and effective in improving access to quality healthcare for all children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases worldwide.
3. Accelerate Efforts to Scale Programs and Generate Knowledge
Building on the proven success of St. Jude Global and the Global Alliance's approaches, products and tools, now is the time to scale reach to achieve an even greater impact. Regional Hubs provide the essential experience and capacity to scale effective programs and enhance St. Jude Global's operational effectiveness, enabling more agile planning and efficient execution to reach more children in need.
Key Functions
Regional Hubs strategically execute through a framework of key functions that are aligned with the St. Jude Global foundational pillars.
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Network Development
Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders across the health and public sector ecosystem to drive alignment across shared goals through:
Developing engagement strategies to identify, build and maintain key partnerships while representing St. Jude and serving as a thought partner at various international forums.
Liaising between government entities to advocate for Global Alliance institutions and ensure priorities are aligned with government policies, regulations and laws.
Supporting the organization and administration of regional networks.
Program Building
Develop and strengthen health systems and patient-centered initiatives that encompass the entire continuum of care required for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases by:
Supporting the development and implementation of programs including but not limited to treatment guidelines, nursing care standards, infection control, quality improvement and supportive care programs.
Developing regional centers for training and delivery of complex medical procedures.
Education
Grow and empower the global workforce required to enhance access to quality care of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases around the world by:
Providing operational assistance to the comprehensive training and professional development programs for multidisciplinary healthcare professionals in-region.
Supporting existing educational initiatives, training seminars and continuous learning opportunities to build sustainable local and regional healthcare capacity.
Research
Advance knowledge in global pediatric oncology and hematology through research to sustain continuous improvement in the level and quality of care delivered around the globe through:
Sharing expertise and mentoring at St. Jude Global Alliance sites.
Enabling high-quality research while supporting the development and implementation of research infrastructure.
What are Regional Hubs?
Understanding Regional Hubs requires clarity on their scope and parameters. While aligned with the St. Jude mission to advance cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases, Regional Hubs take a distinct, action-oriented approach to achieving this shared goal.
Regional Hubs DO:
Regional Hubs cultivate and sustain strong relationships with regional partners by strategically engaging and supporting local networks to achieve shared goals.
Regional Hubs establish and enhance comprehensive, patient-focused programs across the continuum of care, encompassing the development of standardized guidelines and the implementation of quality and safety protocols.
Regional Hubs focus on delivering and expanding St. Jude Global educational initiatives to cultivate a robust global workforce capable of enhancing access to quality pediatric cancer care.
Regional Hubs generate and advance knowledge through collaborative expertise sharing, mentorship programs, the facilitation of research endeavors and the establishment of strong research support systems within the Global Alliance network.
Regional Hubs DO NOT:
Regional Hubs do not provide direct clinical care or treatment. Regional Hubs are international offices strategically focused on strengthening the capacity of regional partners to deliver these services effectively; they are not hospitals.
Regional Hubs do not raise funds for St. Jude or for Global Alliance member institutions or foundations. The American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC) continues to support foundations to raise funds locally and keep them in-country.
Regional Hubs do not distribute medicine or drugs and do not directly handle the products procured through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.
Regional Hubs do not conduct clinical trials or serve as research laboratories. Instead, they support the Global Alliance and other partners to conduct their own research.
Pilot Locations
The Regional Hubs initiative is launching with three pilot Hubs, each aligned to an existing St. Jude Global operating region, to evaluate the approach and guide future Hub development. The selection of these initial locations prioritized regions with high potential for impact, the ability to accelerate St. Jude Global and Global Alliance projects, ease of accessibility and operations, and insights from a comprehensive risk assessment and legal analysis.
Pilot Hub #1 Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub, located in Dubai, UAE, opened in March 2025 and supports 12 countries and more than 45 Alliance members.
Pilot Hub #2 Sub-Saharan Africa
The Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Hub will be in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is planned to open in 2026, supporting 13 countries and 50+ Alliance members.
Pilot Hub #3 Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean
The Mexico, Central America, and Caribbean Regional Hub will be in Mexico City, Mexico, supporting nine countries and 60+ Alliance members. Exact timing for the opening of this Hub is to be determined.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Regional Hubs?
Regional Hubs are St. Jude-staffed international offices that work with members of the Global Alliance, government agencies and local and global organizations to help scale and bolster the impact of global engagement and projects.
Regional Hubs are not hospitals or labs, and they do not distribute medicines or raise funds
What is the purpose of Regional Hubs?
The purpose of Regional Hubs is to enhance and expand regional engagement, enable and empower priority-setting locally and accelerate efforts to scale programs and generate knowledge. Regional Hubs do this through key functions of network development, program building, education and research.
What are the steps to establish a Regional Hub?
The first Regional Hub was established through a combination of strategic and operational steps, initially shaping the project's vision and subsequently bringing it to life:
Create the Strategic Initiative: St. Jude committed to the Regional Hubs vision by incorporating the Strategic Initiative to "Develop St. Jude-staffed regional operation units that are strategically located to meet the growing needs of the Global Alliance" into the Strategic Plan FY22-27.
Kickoff the Regional Hubs initiative: The St. Jude Global Regional Hubs project officially commenced in 2022, gathering global health experts to collectively define the Regional Hubs priorities and operating model.
Define the strategic priorities: The project team collaborated to establish Strategic Priorities that would guide how Regional Hubs engage with the Global Alliance and other global partners.
Determine the roles and operating model: Through a series of workshops, the project team and partners defined the necessary roles for Regional Hubs and developed an appropriate structure and interaction model for working with the Global Alliance and other collaborators.
Conduct current state and risk assessments: Comprehensive assessments were conducted to evaluate existing capabilities and processes, and identify key factors such as ease of operations, workforce availability, accessibility, infrastructure, security and the number of Alliance members in the region.
Select the Regional Hubs initial cohort: Three pilot hubs were selected based on potential impact, operational feasibility and alignment with strategic goals, informed by research, workshops, and legal and risk assessments (for more details, please see question #4 below).
Draft the programmatic functions and plan: Created the programmatic functions and a foundational plan outlining how the Regional Hubs will engage with and support the Global Alliance. The framework is designed for continuous iteration and adaptation in collaboration with partners and may evolve by region.
Launch the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub: The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub was successfully established in 2025, a milestone underpinned by the recruitment of the Regional Hub Director, Dr. Asim Belgaumi (MBBS), a distinguished leader with decades of regional experience and connections.
When will there be additional Regional Hubs?
St. Jude Global is starting with an initial cohort of three pilot Regional Hubs before expanding to other regions worldwide. The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Hub in Dubai was the first, opening its doors in 2025. The next will be the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Hub in Johannesburg, set to open in 2026. Following that, the Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Regional Hub will launch, though its exact timing is still to be determined based on a variety of global factors. We'll assess our learnings from these pilot locations to inform the timeline and strategy for future Hubs.
Does St. Jude Global hire locally in-region for Regional Hubs? What are the career opportunities?
Yes, St. Jude Global is committed to hiring talent locally in-region or individuals willing to relocate to Regional Hubs, and hiring efforts are already underway for various roles.
