The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new initiative to provide free cancer medicines to thousands of children in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to improve survival rates.
According to WHO, the first shipments of medicines have already been delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with plans for further deliveries to Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia during the project’s pilot phase. The initiative is expected to benefit around 5,000 children across at least 30 hospitals this year.
“Countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost,” WHO stated.
Childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries are often below 30%, compared to around 80% in high-income nations. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for better access to life-saving treatments, saying, “For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to essential medicines.”
An additional six countries have been invited to join the platform, which aims to expand to 50 countries over the next five to seven years, providing medication for approximately 120,000 children.
WHO estimates that 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer each year, with the majority living in resource-limited settings. In these regions, around 70% of affected children die due to lack of proper treatment, treatment interruptions, or low-quality medicines.
The free provision of medicines will continue beyond the pilot phase, with efforts underway to ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
First announced in December 2021, the platform is a collaboration between WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The non-profit pediatric treatment and research institution has committed $200 million to the project’s launch.
