The World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have officially kicked off the distribution of life-saving childhood cancer medicines to two pilot countries, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, marking a major milestone in global efforts to combat pediatric cancer. This distribution is part of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, a groundbreaking initiative designed to improve survival rates for children battling cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Currently, the medicines are being delivered to approximately 30 hospitals in these countries, with plans to extend the program to Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia. The initiative aims to reach around 5,000 children with cancer this year, providing them with uninterrupted access to quality-assured treatments at no cost. This effort is crucial, as childhood cancer survival rates in LMICs are often as low as 30%, compared to over 80% in high-income countries.
The Global Platform, the first of its kind, will eventually expand to 50 countries within the next 5-7 years, helping an estimated 120,000 children annually. The platform operates on a model that consolidates global demand, coordinates medicine selection, and supports national healthcare systems to ensure sustainable access to cancer treatment.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, expressed that this partnership is a step toward addressing a significant global healthcare disparity, emphasizing that many children in resource-limited settings have been denied access to life-saving medications for far too long.
James R. Downing, President and CEO of St. Jude, noted that a child’s chance of surviving cancer is often determined by where they are born, making this initiative a critical effort to bridge the gap in healthcare equity.
This collaboration brings together governments, pharmaceutical companies, and non-governmental organizations, with the goal of creating sustainable solutions for childhood cancer care worldwide. WHO and St. Jude are also working alongside UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to ensure the initiative’s success.
As childhood cancer remains a major health challenge, particularly in LMICs, this transformative partnership represents hope for thousands of children who otherwise might not survive the disease.
