The Sri Lanka- Cambridge Paediatric Cancer Partnership was established in October 2025 between Apeksha Hospital (National Cancer Institute, Sri Lanka), Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge Global Health Partnerships (CGHP). The partnership aims to improve outcomes for children with cancer in Sri Lanka while generating reciprocal learning and benefits for healthcare professionals and services in both Sri Lanka and the UK.
Background
Sri Lanka is a middle-income country in South Asia with a population of approximately 22 million. The country has achieved remarkable progress in healthcare, particularly in maternal and child health, earning recognition from WHO and UNICEF. However, paediatric oncology remains an area of significant need, with ongoing challenges related to workforce capacity, infrastructure, and access to advanced treatments and support services.
The National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka (NCI), also known as Apeksha Hospital, is the country’s leading specialist centre for cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care. As the only dedicated centre for paediatric cancer care in the country, it treats around 800 children with cancer each year.
Despite Sri Lanka’s committed to improving cancer outcomes, NCI faces several significant challenges. These include a shortage of specialist staff, with just 3 paediatric oncologists responsible for the care of approximately 800 patients. Additional challenges include inconsistent use of clinical protocols, limited access to precision medicine and targeted therapies and a lack of clear, reliable information for families affected by childhood cancer, which can contribute to treatment abandonment. While some palliative care services are available, palliative care is not yet recognised as a formal medical specialty in Sri Lanka.
Project aims
A scoping visit by project leads in November 2025, confirmed the urgent challenges outlined above and enabled both teams to work together to design a focused, practical programme of activity to address current gaps in care. The partnership seeks to address key gaps in care and improve outcomes for children with cancer through:
- Strengthening paediatric oncology workforce capacity and multidisciplinary collaboration
- Supporting the development and implementation of locally appropriate clinical protocols for diagnosis and treatment
- Optimising pathway and coordination of genetic testing to guide the development of better targeted treatment pathways for children with cancer
- Establishing a programme of education and support for families and carers
- Strengthening reciprocal learning and generating benefits for NCI, CUH and the wider NHS
Photo: The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding formalised the partnership, following a visit in October 2025 to discuss a range of clinical, academic and partnership-building activities.
