The World Health Organisation (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have launched the distribution of essential childhood cancer medicines in two of the six pilot countries under the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.
In a statement on Tuesday, the WHO revealed that medicines are currently being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with additional shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia.
It said these treatments are expected to reach approximately 5,000 children with cancer across at least 30 hospitals in these countries within this year.
The Global Platform is the first initiative of its kind, providing an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
“Childhood cancer survival rates in these countries are often below 30 per cent, significantly lower than in high-income nations. Six more countries have been invited to join the platform.
“The initiative aims to become the largest of its kind, targeting 50 countries in the next five to seven years.
“The goal is to provide treatment to around 120,000 children with cancer in LMICs, significantly reducing mortality rates.”
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, emphasised that children with cancer have long lacked access to life-saving medicines.
He said, “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, bringing health and hope to children around the world.
“Every year, approximately 400,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer, with most of them living in resource-limited settings.
“Due to factors such as limited access to treatment, disruptions in care, and low-quality medicines, about 70 per cent of these children die from cancer.”
Dr James Downing, CEO of St. Jude, stated that a child’s chances of surviving cancer are largely determined by where they are born, making it one of the starkest disparities in global healthcare.
He expressed hope that through this initiative, St. Jude’s founding dream that no child should die in the dawn of life could be realised for children with cancer worldwide.
He said the platform, announced in 2021 by St. Jude and WHO, brought together governments, the pharmaceutical industry, and non-governmental organisations in a collaborative effort to ensure access to lifesaving treatments.
Downing explained that the platform provided comprehensive support, from consolidating global demand to shaping the market, assisting with medicine selection, and developing treatment standards.
“The initiative partners with UNICEF Supply Division and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Strategic Fund to create sustainable solutions for children with cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.”(NAN)
