The initial deliveries of these medicines are being sent to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, according to the WHO, with additional shipments scheduled for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia as part of the project's pilot phase.
This initiative is anticipated to benefit approximately 5,000 children with cancer this year across at least 30 hospitals in the six targeted countries.
“Countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost,” the UN health agency said in a statement.
The World Health Organization reports that childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries frequently fall below 30 percent, in contrast to the approximately 80 percent survival rate observed in high-income countries.
“For too long, children with cancer have lacked access to life-saving medicines,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Six additional countries have received invitations to join the platform, which aims to encompass 50 countries within the next five to seven years, thereby providing medications to an estimated 120,000 children.
The WHO reports that approximately 400,000 children globally develop cancer annually, with the majority residing in resource-constrained environments.
“It is estimated that 70 percent of the children from these settings die from cancer due to factors such as lack of appropriate treatment, treatment disruptions or low-quality medicines,” it said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the provision of services at no cost will extend beyond the pilot phase, with efforts underway to ensure the platform's long-term sustainability.
The initiative to create this platform was initially revealed in December 2021.
This collaborative effort involves the WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, located in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. According to the WHO, the non-profit pediatric treatment and research facility has pledged $200 million to support its establishment.