WHO launches platform to provide free cancer drugs for children

On February 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new platform to provide free cancer drugs to thousands of children living in low- and middle-income countries.

In the initial testing phase of the project, WHO said the first doses have been shipped to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with further shipments planned to go to Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia.

The treatments are expected to reach about 5,000 children with cancer this year at at least 30 hospitals in the six countries mentioned above.

WHO confirmed that countries in the trial phase will receive uninterrupted supplies of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost.

Childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries are typically below 30%, compared with around 80% in high-income countries, says WHO.

After completing the testing phase, WHO expects the platform to reach 50 countries within the next 5-7 years, providing medicine to about 120,000 children.

According to WHO estimates, approximately 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer each year, most of whom live in resource-limited settings.

As a result, approximately 70% of children from these environments die from cancer due to factors such as lack of appropriate treatment, treatment interruptions or poor quality drugs.

WHO said the free provision of treatment will continue after the trial phase and the platform is working to develop long-term sustainability.

Plans for the foundation were first announced in December 2021. It is a collaboration between WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee (USA).

The nonprofit pediatric research and treatment organization has committed $200 million to launch the platform.