The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced a new platform to provide cost-free cancer medicines for thousands of children in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to improve survival rates that lag far behind those in wealthier nations. As part of the initiative’s pilot phase, the first shipments of medicines have been delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with additional deliveries planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia. This year, the program is expected to benefit approximately 5,000 children across at least 30 hospitals in these six countries.
“Countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost,” the UN health agency stated.
WHO highlighted the stark contrast in childhood cancer survival rates, which are often below 30% in low- and middle-income countries compared to around 80% in high-income nations.
“For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
In addition to the initial six participating countries, another six have been invited to join the platform, which aims to expand to 50 countries over the next five to seven years, ultimately reaching about 120,000 children.
With an estimated 400,000 children worldwide developing cancer annually, most of them in resource-limited settings, WHO emphasized that 70% of affected children in these regions die due to inadequate treatment, disruptions in care, or low-quality medicines.
The WHO reassured that the provision of free medicines will continue beyond the pilot phase, with efforts underway to ensure the program’s long-term sustainability.
First announced in December 2021, the initiative is a collaboration between WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. The nonprofit pediatric treatment and research institution has committed $200 million to support the platform’s launch.
