In a groundbreaking initiative to improve childhood cancer survival rates, the World Health Organization (WHO) and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has launched a new platform to provide life-saving medicines free of charge to children in low- and middle-income countries.

The initiative, backed by a $200 million commitment from St. Jude, aims to ensure that children battling cancer in resource-limited settings receive uninterrupted access to high-quality medicines. The program has already begun delivering its first treatments to Mongolia and Uzbekistan, with Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal, and Zambia set to receive shipments next.

“This initiative represents a major step toward closing the survival gap for children with cancer worldwide,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “For too long, these children have lacked access to the medicines they need to survive and thrive.”

Childhood cancer survival rates vary drastically across the globe, with high-income countries reaching around 80%, while low- and middle-income nations struggle with rates below 30%. The WHO platform seeks to bridge this gap by eventually reaching 50 countries and providing essential cancer medicines to approximately 120,000 children over the next five to seven years.

By ensuring continuous access to quality-assured medicines, the initiative is tackling key challenges such as treatment disruptions and substandard drugs—factors that contribute to high mortality rates in underserved regions.

The platform’s cost-free provision of medicines will continue beyond its pilot phase, with long-term sustainability being a priority for WHO and its partners.

With an estimated 400,000 children worldwide developing cancer each year, this initiative offers renewed hope for families and health systems in need, reinforcing a global commitment to making pediatric cancer care more equitable and accessible.