WHO Launches Free Cancer Medicine Program for Children in Low-Income Countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced a new initiative to provide life-saving cancer medicines at no cost to thousands of children in low- and middle-income countries, aiming to improve survival rates that lag behind wealthier nations.  

The first shipments of medicines have already reached Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with additional deliveries planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia as part of the project’s pilot phase. The initiative is expected to benefit around 5,000 children across 30 hospitals in these six countries this year.  

According to the WHO, childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income nations often fall below 30%, compared to approximately 80% in high-income countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the urgency of the program, stating, “For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines.”  

Beyond the initial phase, six more countries have been invited to join the platform, with the long-term goal of expanding to 50 nations over the next five to seven years, potentially reaching 120,000 children. The WHO estimates that 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer each year, with the majority in resource-limited regions where inadequate treatment, supply disruptions, and poor-quality medicines contribute to high mortality rates.  

The organization has committed to ensuring a continuous supply of cost-free cancer medicines beyond the pilot phase and is actively working on strategies to sustain the initiative in the long run.