Back On 4 September, 1st Steering Committee meeting of the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme “Advancement of Paediatric Oncology Care in Latvia” took place at the Ministry of Health. The committee is responsible for the strategic oversight and coordination of the programme. Representatives from the Embassy of Switzerland in Latvia, Children’s Clinical University Hospital (CCUH), the Ministry of Finance, Riga Stradiņš University, and the Ministry of Health evaluated programme progress, identified potential risks, and discussed necessary adjustments.
Significant work has already been accomplished in developing the programme framework, adopting the necessary regulations, building the core team, and launching the first key activities to improve care for paediatric oncology patients and their families at CCUH:
- A dedicated education nurse has started work in the Haemato-oncology Department, focusing on educating healthcare professionals as well as patients and their families – both in person and through informative materials.
- A pilot project has introduced Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement (PROM) tools to assess quality of life, supporting more tailored clinical decisions in close collaboration with families.
- The programme enables Latvian medical professionals to participate in international conferences and expert networks, helping to transfer valuable knowledge and practices to improve care outcomes in Latvia.
- Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening diagnostics. The introduction of new diagnostic methods will help establish more accurate diagnoses and initiate treatment more quickly here in Latvia.
- A sustainable long-term follow-up system is being developed to identify potential complications or relapses early.
According to representatives of the Swiss Confederation, “significant progress has already been achieved, laying a solid foundation for advancing toward the programme’s overall goals.”
The programme also supports continuing professional education. In mid-June, with the support of the Swiss–Latvian Cooperation Programme, doctors from CCUH’s Haemato-oncology Department – Dr Indra Bojkovska and Dr Liene Smane – as well as clinical research nurses and coordinators Sanita Erdmane-Hermane and Krista Grigorjeva, participated in a specialised continuing education course in clinical pharmacology in paediatric haemato-oncology organised by NOPHO (Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology) in Vilnius.
During the intensive training, participants deepened their understanding of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of key chemotherapy agents, analysed complex clinical cases, and successfully passed the final exam. Discussions also included case comparisons and insights into the organisation of paediatric haemato-oncology care across different countries.
Following the training, the Latvian team visited the Paediatric Haemato-oncology Department at Vilnius University Santaros Clinic, a long-standing partner of CCUH for autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Dr Bojkovska noted that both the knowledge and professional connections gained during the course are already being applied in everyday clinical work and in the development of new clinical guidelines. “Our goal is to ensure that the treatment and care provided to children with cancer at the Children’s Hospital in Latvia match the standards of leading paediatric haemato-oncology centres worldwide,” she added.
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