AUGUST 2019
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Seba Dereja
HE Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at Seba Dereja
Childhood Cancer Awareness Builds as Ethiopia's Prime Minister, First Lady, and Minister of Health Visit the TAPCCO Compound and Pledge Support 
2019 stands as a landmark year for childhood cancer in Ethiopia!

Following on the visit of Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde to the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) pediatric oncology unit earlier this year, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia HE Abiy Ahmed, First Lady Zinash Tayachew, the Minister of Health HE Dr. Amir Aman, and the Mayor of Addis Ababa Takele Uma Benti  spent the morning of June 4 at Seba Dereja -- the compound for parents and children in treatment at TASH that is operated by TAPCCO and funded primarily by Aslan and the McMillan Stewart Foundation.  

Marking the beginning of Eid, the country's leaders planted three trees as part of its green initiative to plant four billion trees nationwide. Later, while sharing a traditional coffee ceremony with the compound's residents and TAPCCO staff, they discussed ways in which the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and the City of Addis Ababa could promote childhood cancer care at TASH and throughout the country. 
Aslan, the Ministry of Health, and TASH Launch a National Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Training Program
Ethiopian and Kenyan pediatric oncology nurses training in Pakistan
A fundamental goal of Ethiopia's National Cancer Control Plan for Pediatric Cancer is to improve standards of pediatric cancer care within the county in order to increase survival rates. A key strategy both to achieve this goal and to ensure sustainability is to strengthen the size and skills of Ethiopia's pediatric oncology workforce. 

At a ceremony on March 3, the Ministry of Health, TASH, and Aslan made a huge collective stride toward that goal by signing a landmark agreement establishing a national pediatric hematology-oncology training program.
We are thrilled to share that two core initiatives of the program have already launched.
Our Washington, DC and NYC Events Raise Record Funds  
HE Fitsum Arega, Ethiopian Ambassador to the United States, and U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.)
Washington, DC. On May 14, we hosted our most successful event to date through our All Children Are Precious reception at the Embassy of Ethiopia. 

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the first Temesgen Gamacho Legacy Awards to U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and to Ethiopia Minister of Health HE Dr. Amir Aman. The awards were presented with a moving tribute from Temesgen's American parents, Aslan Co-Founders Mary Louise and Bruce Cohen, who shared stories of Temesgen's courage traveling from a small Ethiopian village to the United States for treatment and his dream that children with cancer in his home country would someday have access to the quality care he experienced here.
Guests enjoying the Red Rooster cuisine
New York.  Our third year hosting our NYC event at the Red Rooster Harlem likewise was our most successful event yet. On June 3, our New York "family" -- many of whom have been supporting our events since our first small reception in 2014 -- enjoyed an inspiring presentation from Dr. Shad as well as iconic dishes from the Red Rooster kitchen. 

Deepest thanks to our longtime champion sponsor Troutman Sanders LLP, to our dedicated and generous Host Committee members -- Aslan Board member Susan Scherr and Stephen Scherr, Aslan Board member Craig Kline and Anna Kline, Jote Kassa, and Jennifer and Steve Pinkos -- and to Chef Marcus Samuelsson for another extraordinary meal and for his stirring call to action. 
As always, our greatest thanks go to the more than 250 guests and donors who attended 
and supported our two events. Your generous investment ensures the continuity of our efforts to promote childhood cancer awareness and pediatric oncology initiatives in countries that truly need our help. We are humbled and honored by your partnership!
Aslan Joins with the UNC Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health to Institute Cancer Registry and Quality Improvement Initiatives
Aslan's partnerships with world-class institutions form the foundation of our capacity building model. We are honored to have begun a cutting-edge collaboration with the UNC Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Public Health to conduct two integrated and multi-year initiatives that we hope will contribute significantly to the progress of Ethiopia's pediatric cancer health system. 

The first targets data collection and management processes on the pediatric oncology units at TASH, Jimma University Medical Center, Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (Mekelle), and St. Paul's Millenium Hospital (Addis Ababa). As such processes currently are in their early stages, Dr. Benyam Muluneh, PharmD, and colleagues from the UNC School of Pharmacy are taking the lead with Aslan medical faculty to pilot at TASH a project that identifies existing gaps in data collection practices and implements practical interventions that ultimately will allow implementation of a hospital-based pediatric cancer registry. 
Help us sustain our work by becoming a monthly Childhood Cancer Community Builder!

This May, we were thrilled to announce a new major action donor campaign to encourage individuals to make monthly investments in our work. 

The  Childhood Cancer Community Builder  (CCCB) campaign -- Aslan's first monthly giving campaign -- marks our partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health to begin the country's first national training program in pediatric hematology-oncology. Designed to jumpstart funding for this vital program, the CCCB campaign seeks unrestricted monthly investments of anywhere from $5 to $25 to $100 or above. 

As Aslan continues to be the primary organization operating programs to train local pediatric cancer doctors, nurses, and related specialists in this country with more than 50 million children and adolescents, we are grateful to and welcome all our Childhood Cancer Community Builders!
The Aslan Project 
1140 3rd Street NE - Suite 200 - Washington, DC 20002
The Aslan Project (EIN 45­5303190) is a tax ­exempt charity registered under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Financial reports are available upon request.