# Improving access to cancer care for children in Tanzania: Designing a health-systems intervention

> **NIH NIH K01** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $158,804

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The burden of cancer disproportionally affects children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which
accounts for over 80% of global childhood cancer cases and deaths. Children in LMICs are four times more
likely to die of cancer than children in high-income countries. One of the main reasons impacting poor
outcomes for vast number of children with cancer in LMICs is the lack of strong health systems, which impacts
timely access to care along the entire care continuum. In order to improve cancer outcomes for children in
LMICs, interventions are needed to improve comprehensive care
using a health system strengthening
approach
. My long-term goal is to improve outcomes for children with cancer in LMICs through support of
locally-relevant programs to strengthen health systems. I am a global health epidemiologist with a passion for
children’s health care in LMICs. Although my formal training and research experiences have been formative for
the analysis of disease patterns and health systems, I will use this award to develop skills to improve health
systems and to translate epidemiologic data into clinical practice. With my extensive epidemiologic experience,
I have previously measured and identified delays in care for children with surgical needs in LMICs due to
geographic, financial, and health system barriers. However, I lack the expertise to translate those findings into
practice through real-world, evidence-based, sustainable solutions. Training in this gap between science and
practice requires an integrated approach to health system strengthening. To achieve my career goals, I need
additional training in health services research and implementation science. The skills acquired during the K01
training grant will equip me to become an independent investigator in low-income settings with my career goal
of becoming researcher to improve global health systems for children. My mentorship team’s expertise in
global care for children, health services research, implementation science, and intervention development will
support my proposed training and research objectives. In addition, the proposed aims will gather preliminary
data needed for the next step of a R01 proposal aimed at testing interventions to improve cancer care for
children in Tanzania.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10588641
- **Project number:** 1K01TW012181-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Emily Smith
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $158,804
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-21 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10588641

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10588641, Improving access to cancer care for children in Tanzania: Designing a health-systems intervention (1K01TW012181-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10588641. Licensed CC0.

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