𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲
Do you know International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is celebrated yearly on February 15 as a global initiative to advocate for better access to care and treatment for children with cancer?
Each year, approximately 400,000 children and adolescents (0–19 years old) are diagnosed with cancer worldwide (International Society of Pediatrics Oncology [SIOP] (2025) & World Health Organization [WHO], 2025).
In high-income countries, over 80% of children survive childhood cancer, while in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝟯𝟬% 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (𝗪𝗛𝗢, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱).
In low-income countries, lymphomas (23.4%) are the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancers, followed by soft tissue sarcomas (14.5%) and malignant epithelial neoplasms (14.5%) (Suleiman 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭., 2024)
Despite significant advances in treatment, thousands of children in low-income countries continue to face poor health outcomes due to 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀. Only 29% of low-income countries report they have cancer medications readily available compared to 96% in high-income nations (WHO, 2025).
The theme of ICCD 2025, “Inspiring Action,” calls on governments, healthcare providers, and communities to take bold steps towards improving early diagnosis, ensuring equitable access to life-saving treatment, and strengthening pediatric oncology care.
As Margaret Chan, former WHO Director-General, stated in 2017, “𝙉𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.”
𝗔𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗯𝘂𝗷𝗮, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 that enhance early detection, treatment availability, and quality care for children battling cancer. We urge stakeholders to join efforts in closing the survival gap and ensuring that every child, regardless of where they live, gets a fighting chance at life.