Spokesman Report
Islamabad: Marking Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reaffirmed its pledge to help Pakistan combat childhood cancer, stressing that the disease is curable when diagnosed and treated early. Pakistan records over 8,000 new childhood cancer cases annually, yet while high-income countries achieve cure rates above 80%, low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan see less than 30% survival, largely due to limited access to quality treatment.
To address this gap, WHO is working with Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, co-founded by WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to supply free, quality-assured medicines. Pakistan joined the initiative in July 2025, becoming the second country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to do so.
Four Pakistani hospitals are finalizing preparations to receive medicines by early 2027, with seven more expected to become ready through 2027, working toward equipping all hospitals treating childhood cancer nationwide. The program, supported by UNICEF and the PAHO Strategic Fund for procurement, aims to raise Pakistan’s survival rate from 30% to 60% by 2030. WHO Representative Dr Luo Dapeng emphasized every child deserves a chance to defeat cancer regardless of economic status or location.
