By Bunmi Yekini
The World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have begun distributing urgently needed childhood cancer medicines to two of six pilot countries through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines. The medicines are currently being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with additional shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia.
This initiative, the first of its kind, aims to provide a continuous supply of quality-assured cancer medicines at no cost to participating low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). By the end of the year, the treatments are expected to reach approximately 5,000 children across at least 30 hospitals in these countries.
“For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “This unique partnership between WHO and St. Jude is working to provide quality-assured cancer medicines to pediatric hospitals in low- and middle-income countries. WHO is proud to be part of this joint initiative with St. Jude, bringing health and hope to children around the world.”
Each year, an estimated 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer, with many in resource-limited settings facing significant barriers to treatment. In LMICs, childhood cancer survival rates are often below 30%, compared to 80% or higher in high-income countries.
“A child’s chances of surviving cancer are largely determined by where they are born, making this one of the starkest disparities in global healthcare,” said James R. Downing, MD, President and CEO of St. Jude. “St. Jude was founded on Danny Thomas’ dream that no child should die in the dawn of life. By developing this platform, we believe this dream can someday be achieved for children stricken by cancer, irrespective of where they live.”
WHO and St. Jude launched the platform in 2021 to ensure equitable access to childhood cancer treatments. The initiative aims to expand its reach to 50 nations within the next five to seven years, ultimately providing medicine to approximately 120,000 children with cancer in LMICs.
The program takes a comprehensive approach by consolidating global demand, shaping the market, and assisting countries with medicine selection and treatment standards. Partnering with UNICEF Supply Division and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Strategic Fund, the initiative seeks to create sustainable, long-term solutions for childhood cancer care.
The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines builds on previous efforts by WHO and St. Jude to strengthen national cancer programs. The initiative aligns with the WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which aims to increase survival rates to 60% by 2030.
With additional countries invited to join, the initiative is poised to become the largest global effort to reduce childhood cancer mortality rates in LMICs, offering a transformative model for improving pediatric healthcare worldwide.