Low and Middle Income Countries Benefit from Generosity of USA Research by Sharon L. Wallenberg

United Nations World Health Organization and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the USA, founded by Danny Thomas to advance research and treatment of childhood cancer, created a platform to dramatically increase access to childhood cancer medicine.  The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines will provide an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines to low- and middle-income countries. 

 “Close to nine in ten children with cancer live in low-and middle-income countries,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Survival in these countries is less than 30%, compared with 80% in high-income countries. This new platform…will help redress this unacceptable imbalance and give hope to many thousands of parents faced with the devastating reality of a child with cancer.”

 Each year, an estimated 400 000 children worldwide develop cancer. The majority of children living in low-and middle-income countries are unable to consistently obtain or afford cancer medicines. As a result, nearly 100 000 children die each year.  This initiative strives to end this inequity.

 

St. Jude is making a six-year, US$ 200 million investment to launch the platform, which will provide medicines at no cost to countries participating in the pilot phase. This is the largest financial commitment for a global effort in childhood cancer medicines to date.