The UN health agency is calling for increased investment to save young lives from cancer

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

The data, covering 194 countries, informed the findings of a report published in May – Measuring Survival, Driving Change – which examines global efforts to address disparities and ensure more children and young people beat 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.

A real gap

Every year, About 400,000 people worldwide aged 19 years and under suffer from cancer. Although most childhood cancers are treatable, patient survival depends on where the patient lives.

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

The report describes this gap as “one of the greatest health disparities of our time.”

Survival rates vary

WHO notes that the Western Pacific and Europe have achieved the highest estimated survival rates, while Africa and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean face persistent challenges related to inequities in timely diagnosis, access to essential medicines, and high-quality care.

The report also shows that adolescents aged 15 to 19 face a greater survival gap than children aged 14 and underwith the largest gaps occurring in low and middle income countries.

For the younger group, the average five-year survival from lymphoid leukemia was 66.7 percent, while older teens had a nearly 39 percent chance of beating the disease.

Delays in diagnosis, gaps between pediatric and adult services, and limited evidence regarding adolescent cancer care are some of the barriers to this.

Teenagers also face different types of cancer than younger children and therefore require different types of treatment.

WHO emphasizes that “Strategic investments in infrastructure, training and equitable service delivery can significantly improve survival.”

Saving more young lives

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

Having a complete data set for this report allows UN agencies and governments to monitor commitments to increase overall childhood cancer survival to at least 60 percent by the end of the decade.

These data are a good example of WHO’s strength in data collection the first time survival estimates have been made using a common methodology across WHO Member Statesthereby providing a standardized basis for tracking progress, comparing performance and identifying areas where investment is most needed.