The recent launch of a new platform that provides cost-free cancer medicines for thousands of children living in low-and-middle income countries by the World Health Organisation (WHO) will tremendously address childhood cancer challenge globally. The plan to establish the platform was first announced in December 2021. It is a joint enterprise between the WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, United States (US). The WHO said the non-profit paediatric treatment and research institution had committed $200 million to its launch.
The new treatment is meant to address lagging survival rates of children suffering from cancer. Two countries, Mongolia and Uzbekistan have already received shipments, while shipments are being planned for Ecuador, Jordan, Nepal and Zambia, as part of the project’s pilot phase. According to the WHO, “countries in the pilot phase will receive an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured childhood cancer medicines at no cost.” The UN health agency is targeting around 5,000 children with cancer in 2025 across 30 hospitals in the six countries.
We applaud the WHO for the timely intervention to save the lives of children living with cancer worldwide, especially in resource-limited settings. An estimated 400,000 children worldwide develop cancer yearly and childhood cancer survival rates in low-and middle-income countries are below 30 per cent, compared to around 80 per cent in high-income countries. The 70 per cent fatality rate is mainly attributed to factors, such as lack of appropriate treatment, treatment disruptions or low-quality medicines. It is also commendable that the WHO has invited six countries to join the platform, hoping to reach 50 countries in the next five to seven years, providing medicines for approximately 120,000 children.
The Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, for too long, children with cancer lacked access to life-saving medicines. It is compelling for the WHO to continue the cost-free childhood cancer treatment beyond the pilot phase to achieve the desired result. While hoping that Nigeria will be included in the next phase of the global childhood cancer treatment, the health authorities must step up efforts to enhance the treatment of childhood cancer in the country. A vigorous campaign should be mounted by the federal and state governments to sensitise the public on the causes and symptoms of childhood cancer as well as preventive measures and where to access treatment.
Experts say that most childhood cancers are caused by DNA mutations that happen early in the child’s life. These changes may also occur before birth, and there are not many known risk factors or ways to prevent childhood cancers. The DNA changes that most often cause childhood cancer are acquired mutations. There are also inherited genetic mutations inherited from a parent. However, this accounts for only a small number of childhood cancers. It has been established that only certain mutations will cause a cell to become a cancer cell, and it takes several different gene mutations for cancer to form.
Although most childhood cancers are caused by random acquired mutations, there are not many known risk factors that increase the chance of a child getting cancer. Factors that are believed to increase the risk of childhood cancer include radiation exposure, secondhand smoke, and certain inherited syndromes. Most of the common risk factors for adult cancers include tobacco, alcohol, high body fat, and eating unhealthy foods.
To curb childhood cancer, children should not be exposed to radiation. We say this because children are more sensitive to radiation than adults. Sources of radiation include medical imaging tests such as x-rays and CT scans. Also, radiation exposure from imaging tests is a bigger concern for children than it is for adults. Parents are advised that radiation to the head or brain can increase the risk of developing a benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) brain tumor. Also, radiation to the chest can increase the risk of lung and breast cancer later in life, while radiation to the abdomen, pelvis, or spine can increase the risk of colorectal cancer later in life.
Since many parents smoke cigarettes, they should not expose their children to tobacco smoke. Exposing a child to secondhand smoke (SHS) during and after pregnancy might increase a child’s risk of certain cancers. However, the good news is that cancers are preventable, especially if detected early. Moreover, women who avoid smoking during pregnancy may lower the risk of some cancers. Parents and caregivers should support their children’s long-term health, including reducing their risk of cancer later in life. We believe that giving their children HPV vaccine at a young age, childhood cancer can be prevented before it occurs.