UN health agency calls for investment boost to save young lives from cancer

This article is published in association with United Nations.

More children and young people are beating cancer, but progress remains uneven across regions and age groups, highlighting the need for increased investment to boost survival rates.

That’s according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO) which has released complete country comparable baseline data on five-year survival estimates for lymphoid leukaemia – a cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. 

The data, covering 194 nations, informed the findings of a report published in May – Measuring Survival, Driving Change – that examined global efforts to address inequalities and ensure more children and adolescents defeat a cancer diagnosis. 

“Childhood cancer is one of the clearest indicators of health system performance,” said Dr. Roberta Ortiz, Childhood Cancer Medical Officer at WHO. 

Marked disparities 

Each year, approximately 400,000 people worldwide aged 19 and under, develop cancer. Even though most childhood cancers are highly treatable, survival depends on where patients live. 

In high-income countries, survival rates now reach between 80 per cent and 90 per cent, compared with closer to 40 per cent in countries with weaker health systems. 

The report described this gap as “one of the greatest health inequities of our time.” 

Survival rates vary 

WHO noted that the Western Pacific and Europe have reached some of the highest estimated survival levels, while Africa and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean face persistent challenges linked to inequities in timely diagnosis, access to essential medicines and high-quality care.  

The report also showed that adolescents aged 15 to 19 face a wider survival gap than children aged 14 years and younger, with the divide most pronounced in low and middle-income countries. 

For the younger group, the median five-year survival for lymphoid leukaemia is 66.7 per cent while older teens have a nearly 39 per cent chance of beating the disease. 

Delays in diagnosis, gaps between paediatric and adult services, and limited evidence on adolescent cancer care are among barriers in this regard. 

Adolescents also face different types of cancer than younger children and therefore require different kinds of care.   

WHO stressed that “strategic investments in infrastructure, training and equitable service delivery can dramatically improve survival.” 

Saving more young lives 

Measuring Survival, Driving Change – was published in May by WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC), which was established in 2018. 

Having the complete dataset for the report allows the UN agency and governments to monitor commitments to boost overall childhood cancer survival to at least 60 per cent by the end of this decade. 

In a powerful example of the convening power of WHO, the data marks the first time that survival estimates have been produced using a common methodology across all WHO Member States, thus providing a standardised baseline to track progress, compare performance and identify areas where investment is most needed.  

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