Geneva, 15 September 2026 | News release | Geneva – On the occasion of childhood cancer awareness month, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners in the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform) launched today a new strategy to strengthen the global market and tackle one of the greatest barriers to survival for children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries.
Each year, an estimated 400 000 children develop cancer. Since WHO and partners launched the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer in 2018, nearly 500 000 children in 90 countries have benefited from strengthened systems to provide care and address inequalities. Yet, a child's chance of survival still depends heavily on where they live, in large part because access to quality-assured essential cancer medicines remains limited.
A baseline evaluation in 12 countries, conducted before the Global Platform was launched, found that only around 45% of essential childhood cancer medicines were available in the 51 hospitals visited. Nearly half had been out of stock for at least one month in the previous year, even when listed in procurement lists or hospital records.
"Access to childhood cancer medicines depends not only on what medicines exist, but on whether markets are able to deliver them reliably, affordably, and at quality," said Mr Santiago Millan, Technical Lead for the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines at WHO's Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health. "This strategy provides a practical roadmap for governments, manufacturers, procurement partners and civil society to work together to build healthier markets and ensure that more children can complete treatment and survive."
The strategy Closing the childhood cancer survival gap through sustainable access to medicines: market shaping strategy 2026-2030 draws on the experience of the Global Platform, jointly established by WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (St. Jude) in collaboration with United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Strategic Fund.
It identifies two of the most significant constraints on childhood cancer medicines globally: a fragile and concentrated supplier base for essential childhood cancer medicines, and a fragmented, underfunded demand that contributes to uncertainty and supply disruptions.
To address these challenges, the strategy sets out ten interlinked interventions ordered such that near-term actions including broadening the quality-assured supplier base, consolidating demand via pooled procurement and published forecasts, and deploying volume guarantees to create conditions for regulatory reliance, integration of these medicines into nationally financed benefit packages, and, ultimately, voluntary licensing for newer therapies.
"No child should be denied a chance of survival because the medicines they need are unavailable, unaffordable, or out of reach," said Dr Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, executive vice president of St. Jude and director of St. Jude Global. "By creating healthier and more sustainable markets, we can help ensure that every child, everywhere, has a fair opportunity to receive life-saving treatment and reach their full potential."
Implementing the foundations of the strategy
Global Platform partners are already acting on the strategy. WHO published the first expression of interest inviting manufacturers to submit childhood cancer medicines for WHO prequalification in August 2026. This is expected to accelerate national product registration, diversify the supplier base, reduce regulatory barriers and strengthen the long-term availability of quality-assured and child-friendly medicines. Earlier this year, a high-level round table convened at the World Health Assembly initiated engagement and collaboration on market shaping with Member States, industry, civil society and other key stakeholders.
The Global Platform is also working with twelve governments to create a more predictable and sustainable market, with additional ones to follow soon.
"Zambia is proud of our progress in childhood cancer, including our early leadership in the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines," said Dr Kennedy Lishimpi, Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Ministry of Health, Zambia. "Yet persistent market challenges continue to affect access for children, and it is critical that we continue to work together to enhance the reliability and affordability of childhood cancer medicines."
The lessons from this work extend beyond cancer. The same market shaping approaches can inform access to medicines for other noncommunicable diseases, in line with WHO's broader commitment to help governments identify and share what works as the strategy is implemented.
The strategy is clear that the way forward is through a stronger alliance of multisectoral partners, from affected families to the private sector, under the leadership of governments. Together, this strategy can deliver a future in which a healthy market enables more children to access cancer medicines, wherever they live.
Note to the editor
The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform) was conceived in 2021 by WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which jointly developed the initiative to complement the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer , in collaboration with UNICEF and the Pan American Health Organization Strategic Fund as procurement agents. The Global Platform provides end-to-end support in consolidating global demand to shape the market, and assists countries with the selection of medicines, development of treatment standards and the building of information systems to track that effective care is being provided.
The Global Platform has been working with 12 participating countries since 2024: Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Jordan, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and Zambia. Additional countries are expected to join the Global Platform, with onboarding planned for 2027.
About WHO
Dedicated to the well-being of all people and guided by science, WHO leads and champions global efforts to give everyone, everywhere, an equal chance at a safe and healthy life. We are the United Nations' agency for health that connects nations, partners and people in more than 150 locations – leading the world's response to health emergencies, preventing disease, addressing the root causes of health issues and expanding access to medicines and health care. Our mission is to support all countries to promote, provide and protect health. "Together for health. Stand with science", the theme of World Health Day 2026, marks a year-long campaign to highlight science as the foundation for protecting health and well-being worldwide.
