A child’s chance of surviving cancer shouldn’t depend on where they are born — but today, it does. Around 90% of children with cancer live in low- and middle-income countries, or LMICs, where the survival rate is under 30%. Meanwhile, in high-income countries, over 80% of children beat the disease. This disparity isn’t rooted in biology; rather, it’s a result of inequity — of health systems that too often fail children in low-resource settings.
As the world works toward a more comprehensive adoption of universal health coverage, or UHC — as measured by Sustainable Development Goal target 3.8) — we’re asking governments and stakeholders a simple question: If UHC must start somewhere, why not start with childhood cancer?
The case for starting with children
Every year, around 400,000 children and adolescents (from 0 to19 years of age) are diagnosed with cancer. Most of these children live in countries where access to specialized care, diagnostics, and essential medicines is limited or nonexistent. And yet, the types of cancer most common in children are among the most curable: leukemia; lymphoma; Wilms tumor — cancers where early treatment works.
Unlike many adult cancers, these are not caused by behavior or lifestyle. Children and their families can do nothing to prevent them — but there are actions that governments and health systems can take to treat them. No child should have to suffer from a disease we know how to effectively manage.
Childhood cancer care is a smart, focused entry point for UHC. It’s a relatively small population for governments to cover, with high financial and societal impact. The treatments are well known; the medicines are on the market. Survival rates in high-income countries are a testament to the importance of strong health systems, proper infrastructure and funding.
And, as these countries show, the benefits don’t end with cancer care; improved pediatric oncology services strengthen the broader health system. They help to expand access to diagnostic services, develop palliative care capacity, enhance health workforce training, and improve patient tracking systems. By building systems that treat childhood cancer, we can build systems that serve all children better.
The economic case for cancer care
We know what policymakers are thinking: Is cancer care cost-effective — even on a tight budget? The answer, in most cases, is yes.
Cost-effectiveness analyses, or CEAs, are widely used in high-income countries to determine the value of a health intervention — often medicine — by comparing its cost with the health benefits it delivers, usually measured in terms of added years and improved quality of life. CEAs operate at the population level and are most effective in systems where the government or insurer procures services through universal health coverage (UHC) schemes, providing consistency in decision-making across interventions by offering a framework to evaluate relative value.
In low-resource settings, CEA can be more complex. The baseline may be “no care,” and reliable cost data can be harder to find. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t used. Agencies such as the World Health Organization, or WHO, reference CEA extensively; and peer-reviewed literature and other report sources have included CEA studies of cancer care in LMICs, for example, a general paper on CEA in LMICs, and regional examples such as Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa. These show that childhood cancer treatment is consistently ranked as cost-effective, especially when accounting for long-term social and economic gains.
One study found that in Ghana, the cost per healthy life year saved was just over $1,000 — well below the national per capita income, and therefore highly cost-effective by WHO standards.
Importantly, childhood cancer affects the youngest segment of the population, thus, when countries invest in their care, they invest in decades of productive life. And because treating childhood cancer strengthens entire healthcare systems, the benefits ripple across the sector. These investments pay off across the life course, particularly when paired with strong health and education systems.
A ready-made UHC starting point
For countries looking to make a plan to scale cancer care, WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer — a multistakeholder effort to increase global childhood cancer survival to at least 60% by 2030 — has already provided a road map: The CureAll framework outlines exactly how to build national plans, integrate services into health systems, and monitor results. There’s no need to start from scratch.
What’s more? Childhood cancer services touch all six WHO health system building blocks — workforce, service delivery, financing, governance, information systems, and access to medicines — with a ready-made pathway for inclusion into national cancer control plans and UHC programs. Few health areas offer such a strategic opportunity for comprehensive systems building.
Showing what’s possible
Ghana is looking to capitalize on this opportunity: It is making meaningful strides in access to childhood cancer care. In November 2021, the government began covering treatment for four childhood cancers — acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Wilms tumor, retinoblastoma, and Burkitt’s lymphoma — through its National Health Insurance Scheme, or NHIS. This means families no longer have to make the impossible choice between care and financial ruin.
In March 2025, the Ghanaian government uncapped funds for reimbursements to NHIS-accredited health providers, which will result in faster payments, more stable care delivery, and more trust in the system. It’s a rare example of a government mobilizing domestic funds to build sustainable health coverage.
The country is also benefiting from international partnerships; it is one of six countries invited in 2025 to join the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, or GPACCM, a partnership between WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The Global Platform not only seeks to provide quality-assured childhood cancer medicines to 120,000 children over the next six years but also helps countries build the systems to use that medicine effectively. With support from St. Jude and WHO, Ghana will receive a secure supply of essential childhood cancer medicines — a key step toward forging resilient health care systems.
Ghana isn’t alone in its efforts. In 2024, the government of Nepal committed to covering all cancer care costs for children under 14 — a commitment made possible by the country’s investment in health care system strengthening and the foundations laid by its participation in the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. And in February 2025, Nepal received the first delivery of childhood cancer medications through the Global Platform as one of the initiative’s six pilot countries.
These countries’ bold policy moves show what’s possible when countries are supported with practical tools, affordable treatment, and a clear road map.
What needs to happen next
As policymakers, global health experts, and international funders convene this month in Geneva for the 78th World Health Assembly, universal health coverage will be on the agenda. We urge ministries of health, ministries of finance, and international funders to take the following steps:
• When creating UHC packages, consider starting with childhood cancer
• Join the Global Platform to access cancer medicine at affordable prices
• Train health workers to deliver early diagnosis and standardized treatment
• Fund domestic reforms, as Ghana and Nepal have done, to expand access to care and increase trust
The argument is simple: Treating childhood cancer is not only possible but cost-effective, and there is a ready-made plan to scale care that is already available. Incorporating childhood cancer care into UHC strategies ensures we reach the most vulnerable populations, strengthens health systems, and brings us closer to our development goals.
If we’re serious about UHC, we need to get serious about where we start.
Start with children. Start with cancer. Start now.
To learn more about World Child Cancer and our work in LMICs or to discuss partnership opportunities, please contact Rachel Long via rachel.long@worldchildcancer.org.
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About the authors
Rachel Long
Rachel Long is head of marketing and communications at World Child Cancer where she leads global engagement and advocacy focused on childhood cancer. She is an experienced communications and policy professional with a background in international development and public health, having worked across the Middle East, Central Asia, and the United States. Rachel has helped develop high-level partnerships with ministries of health, WHO, and global nongovernmental organizations and holds a master’s degree in Anthropology and Development from the London School of Economics.
Sean Lybrand
Sean Lybrand leads the access to health care team at Amgen, focusing on health system strengthening and access in low- and middle-income countries. He is an experienced market access and health policy leader with over 25 years in health, beginning his career in research-focused roles in academia. Sean has held local, regional, and global roles within the industry and has built many multistakeholder collaborations with academic centers, NGOs, and governments. He is also an adjunct fellow at Macquarie University and a health executive in residence at University College London.
