The World Health Organization (WHO) has started a new initiative to provide free cancer medicines to children in low- and middle-income countries.
 The programme aims to improve survival rates for young patients who lack access to proper treatment.
Mongolia and Uzbekistan are the first to receive shipments, with more deliveries planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia.
This initial phase will supply medicines to about 5,000 children in 30 hospitals.
Cancer survival rates in poorer countries are often below 30%, compared to around 80% in wealthier nations.
WHO estimates that 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer each year, with many unable to get proper treatment due to high costs, lack of medicine, or treatment delays.
The programme aims to expand to 50 countries in the next five to seven years, reaching around 120,000 children.
WHO plans to continue providing free medicines beyond the pilot phase and is working on making the initiative sustainable.
The project, first announced in December 2021, is a collaboration between WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the U.S. St. Jude has committed $200 million to support the program.
