In Ethiopia, many pediatric oncology units have limited to no access to commercial therapeutic foods, enteral formulas or parental nutrition, making it exceedingly difficult for clinicians to manage severe nutritional conditions. Moreover, many pediatric oncology units have limited access to trained nutritionists, further illustrating systemic gaps in nutritional support. Such shortages promote poor treatment tolerance, increases complications and delays chemotherapy, emphasizing the urgent need to establish affordable scalable nutritional interventions within cancer centers. 

In response to these limitations, health professionals in different cancer centers in Ethiopia used locally prepared, nutrient-dense foods to support nutritional rehabilitation for malnourished children. Building on this approach, the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition (IIPAN), a capacity-building program based at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has introduced its “Food as Medicine” program in Ethiopia. Through this initiative, partner hospitals establish hospital kitchens, train nutritionists and create practical recipes that use affordable, locally available Ethiopian ingredients such as Beso, oat, dates, flaxseed, honey, peanut butter, and banana to prepare homemade F-100 and protein balls. This approach ensures that children with cancer receive consistent, culturally acceptable, cost-effective nutritional support throughout their treatment journey.

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