Quantifying childhood cancer burden in Tanzania: optimising use of multi-hospital electronic datasets and implications for cancer care and outcomes

Childhood cancer incidence in Africa is estimated to be similar to that of childhood malaria and twice as high as HIV, but without supportive care priority. By 2050, Africa will bear 50% of the global childhood cancer burden, making urgent action critical. Despite being curable in high-income countries, 5-year survival is only 8% in East-Africa, compared to 90% in the UK. Limited comprehensive data makes it difficult to assess the respective roles of detection, diagnosis, and treatment in poor outcomes. National childhood surveillance programme is required to achieve the World Health Organisation’s target of increasing childhood cancer 5-year survival to at least 60% by 2030. This project will generate the first quantification of Tanzania’s childhood cancer burden, its determinants, and drivers of poor outcomes by optimising a multi-hospital electronic health record system. I will achieve this by (1) using state-of-the-art epidemiological and statistical techniques to maximise data use; (2) and developing actionable recommendations for sustaining childhood cancer epidemiologic surveillance. Project outputs include an interactive dashboard reporting key indicators (e.g., incidence, mortality, and survival) to guide clinicians and public health interventions. The project will lay a foundation for ongoing surveillance, supporting efforts to reduce preventable cancer deaths in Tanzania and beyond.