The World Health Organisation (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital have kicked off the distribution of critical childhood cancer medicines, aiming to provide life-saving treatments to 5,000 children across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2025.
The first phase of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines has begun with shipments to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, two of the six pilot countries in the initiative.
In a statement made public on the WHO website on Wednesday, the WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stressed the importance of the partnership, saying, “For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines. This collaboration with St. Jude brings health and hope to children who need it the most.”
The medicines will be delivered to over 30 hospitals in Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with upcoming shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia. By the end of the year, the initiative aims to serve thousands of children, offering them uninterrupted access to quality-assured treatments at no cost.
St. Jude President and CEO, James R. Downing emphasised the stark disparities in cancer survival rates, stating, “A child’s chances of surviving cancer are largely determined by where they are born. This initiative works to level the playing field.”
The Global Platform is set to become the largest effort of its kind, with a goal to expand to 50 countries in the next 5 to 7 years, significantly improving survival rates for childhood cancer globally.
