Background
As part of its mandate to track global progress on childhood cancer, WHO produced for the first time childhood cancer survival estimates. These country-comparable five-year net survival estimates in children (0 to 14 years old) and adolescents (15 to 19 years old) encompass global, regional and nationwide trends between 2017 and 2021 for all member states and use lymphoid leukaemia as a proxy for childhood cancer as a whole.
A crucial component of its production was the undertaking of a country’s consultation with all member states which took place on the second half of 2025 via WHO’s Country Portal Platform. Throughout the consultation, countries were invited to nominate national surveillance experts that collaborated directly with WHO’s team in national data and insights sharing, reviewing the methodology, and providing suggestions to inform the preliminary estimates.
By placing dialogue with countries at the centre of our estimates’ production, WHO was able to improve its methodology to generate cancer survival estimates and fostered a closer collaboration with national surveillance experts. These childhood cancer survival estimates will be published in the upcoming report “Measuring survival, driving change – Advancing equity through the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer”.
Alongside these new estimates, the report highlights progress in the implementation of the CureAll framework across countries engaged in the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer. It showcases how countries are strengthening health systems, expanding access to care, and improving data and monitoring capacities to advance toward the global target of 60% survival and saving one million lives by 2030 while reducing suffering for all.
Webinar objectives
- To present key findings from the WHO childhood cancer deep dive report, including the first comparable country-level five‑year survival estimates for childhood and adolescent lymphoid leukaemia
- To highlight persistent global and regional survival inequities and gaps in childhood cancer surveillance and data systems
- To showcase global initiatives and country experiences strengthening childhood cancer data, registration and use for policy and planning
- To mobilize political commitment and partner action to accelerate equitable access to quality care and achieve at least 60% childhood cancer survival by 2030
Agenda
- Opening remarks from WHO and GICC leadership
- Presentation of the Deep Dive Report and WHO survival estimates methodology
- Panel discussion on global efforts to track survival and strengthen childhood cancer surveillance
- Next steps and closing remarks
Moderators and speakers
- Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, World Health Organization
- Dr Carlos Rodriguez‑Galindo, Executive Vice President and Chair, Department of Global Paediatric Medicine, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Dr Andre Ilbawi, Cancer Team Lead, World Health Organization
- Dr Roberta Ortiz, GICC Focal Point, World Health Organization
- Dr Cath Lam, Co‑Director, Department of Global Paediatric Medicine, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital; WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer
- Dr Nickhill Bhakta, Director, Disease Burden and Simulation, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Charlton Callender, Technical Expert (Survival Estimates), World Health Organization
- Fabio Girardi, Technical Expert (Survival Estimates), World Health Organization
- Dr Kathy Pritchard‑Jones, Professor of Paediatric Oncology, University College London and Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health
- Dr Venkatraman Radhakrishnan, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Adyar Cancer Institute, India
- Professor Michel Coleman, CONCORD Programme Lead, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Professor Claudia Allemani, CONCORD Programme, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
- Dr Eva Steliarova‑Foucher, Scientist, International Agency for Research on Cancer
The webinar is available in English, French, Russian and Spanish