The World Health Organization and St Jude Children’s Research Hospital have commenced the distribution of critically needed childhood cancer medicines in two of six pilot countries, through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.
Currently, these medicines are being delivered to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with shipments planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia. The cancer treatments are expected to reach approximately 5,000 children across nearly 30 hospitals in these countries this year.
The countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), childhood cancer survival rates are often below 30 per cent, significantly lower than in high-income countries. Six more countries have been formally invited to join the platform.