South Asia Regional Program

The St. Jude Global South Asia Regional Program supports efforts to improve outcomes for children with cancer and other  catastrophic diseases across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This region faces significant challenges in access, equity, and continuity of care, and the program works alongside local institutions to build sustainable solutions.

Regional Initiatives

Strategic Mapping & National Planning: We collaborate with ministries of health and national stakeholders to assess gaps in childhood cancer care—such as shortages in essential medicines—and support the development of national cancer control plans that include children and adolescents. 

We support the Indian Childhood Cancer Initiative (ICCI) including strategic funding for its 10 taskforces focused on recognising and addressing key gaps in pediatric oncology care in India including strengthening medical institution networks and survivorship programs.

As part of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (GPACCM), we support access to essential medicines and diagnostics for three focal countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. These efforts are integrated into broader national strategies for pediatric cancer care.

Workforce Development: Through fellowships, virtual learning platforms, and regional workshops, we help cultivate a multidisciplinary workforce in pediatric oncology and hematology. Our programs emphasize context-specific training and cross-border collaboration.

Our team is also a proud co-host of  the CReDO workshop with the National Cancer Grid,  an annual program that stands as a leader in promoting research methodology in clinical trial design, implementation science, and other methodologies pertaining to pediatric oncology.

Implementation Research & Quality Improvement: We partner with institutions to conduct research on local causes of treatment failure and pilot scalable interventions. Our work includes data-sharing platforms and collaborative studies to inform evidence-based care.

Our Impact

The South Asia Regional Program is part of a growing network of over 30 institutions in an area that encompasses 1.8 billion people. By investing in local leadership, education, and systems strengthening, the program helps ensure that children receive timely, high-quality care—regardless of where they live.

Get Involved

The South Asia Regional Program welcomes collaborations with hospitals, governments, NGOs, and research institutions. If you are interested in partnering or supporting our efforts, please reach out to SouthAsia@stjude.org.