Policy Recommendation for the Management of Brain Tumors in LMICs

Dr. Syed Ather Enam, the scientific director of Juma Research Laboratories and Center of Oncological Research In Surgery at Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan, and the founding president of PASNO, and PASBAN, is collaborating with Dr. Kee Park, the director of policy and advocacy at Harvard Medical School’s Program for Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC). Their joint project focuses on developing policy recommendations for managing brain tumors in resource-limited environments. These recommendations, which are in the final stages of review, aim to enhance brain tumor treatment and patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner and are set to be published soon.

Objective: To craft comprehensive policy recommendations at the system level, aimed at reducing the incidence of morbidity and mortality resulting from brain tumors in low-middle-income countries.

Vision: To ensure that no one experiences undue morbidity or mortality due to brain tumors and by providing access to safe, effective and affordable brain tumors care regardless of their geographic location or economic status, without facing catastrophic health expenditure.

Global Neuro-Oncology Supplement:
The JPMA Global Neuro-Oncology (GNO) supplement is a collection of 23 manuscripts that include comprehensive guidelines for the management of the most common types of brain tumors in Pakistan and how low-middle-income countries can best utilize the resources at their disposal to provide optimal care for their patients. It represents a ground-breaking initiative as the first-ever set of guidelines for brain tumor management in Pakistan.