(Geneva, 22 September 2026) WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) published a report on childhood cancer survival, presenting the first country-comparable five-year survival estimates for children and adolescent lymphoid leukaemia across 194 countries. The complete dataset behind these findings is now available online through the WHO Global Health Observatory .
This is the first time survival estimates have been produced using a common methodology across all WHO Member States, giving stakeholders a standardized baseline to track progress, compare performance and identify areas where investment is most urgently needed. The data allow WHO and governments to monitor commitments to achieve the WHO’s GICC target of raising childhood cancer survival to at least 60% globally by 2030.
The report Measuring survival, driving change: advancing equity through the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer , published in May 2026, showed measurable progress in childhood cancer survival, while major geographical and age-related inequities persist.
Each year, an estimated 400 000 children and adolescents develop cancer. While most childhood cancers are highly treatable, survival still depends heavily on where a child lives. The data show that high-income countries consistently demonstrate strong performance, with survival rates now reaching 80-90%, while settings with weaker health systems show markedly lower survival, closer to 40%.
The WHO Western Pacific and European Regions have reached some of the highest estimated survival levels, while the African Region and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean Region face persistent challenges linked to inequities in timely diagnosis, access to essential medicines and high-quality care.
“Childhood cancer is one of the clearest indicators of health system performance,” said Dr Roberta Ortiz, Childhood Cancer Medical Officer in the WHO Cancer Programme. “When governments invest in universal health coverage inclusive of childhood cancer, survival improves dramatically.” The economic case underscores the need to invest in childhood cancer as a best buy for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases including cancer.
The report also shows that adolescents aged 15-19 years face a wider survival gap than children aged 0-14 years, with the divide most pronounced in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Long-standing barriers includes delays in diagnosis, gaps between paediatric and adult services, and limited evidence on adolescent cancer care. Adolescents also face different types of cancer than younger children, requiring different care pathways.
Data gaps remain a major challenge. Nearly 80% of the world’s population is not covered by population-based cancer registry. In some regions, up to 43% of childhood cancer cases go undiagnosed and untreated. To strengthen cancer registration and data quality, the Global Initiative for Cancer Registry Development (ChildGICR) and WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have trained 125 health professionals across 27 territories.
A call for sustained political commitment and strategic investment
In 2025, the global target of 60% childhood cancer survival by 2030 was formally included in the political declaration of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level meeting on noncommunicable diseases , demonstrating unpreceded global political commitment.
With coordinated childhood cancer control planning, sustained political commitment and strategic investment, the ambition of saving 1 million additional lives by 2030 is within reach.
Note to the editor:
WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) brings together stakeholders from around the world and across sectors with the joint goal of increasing the survival rate of children with cancer globally to at least 60% by 2030 while reducing their suffering and improving their quality of life.
Since its launch at the 2018 United Nations General Assembly in collaboration with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and global partners, GICC has engaged 87 countries and supported more than 400 projects under the CureAll framework , benefiting over 500 000 children and families. Working with more than 100 partners, the initiative has strengthened service delivery, expanded workforce capacity, and supported national planning for childhood cancer services.
By 2024, more than 100 Member States had completed national assessments of childhood cancer services, and 50 countries across all six WHO regions had incorporated childhood cancer into national cancer control plans. With WHO’s support in sustainable long-term financing planning under the framework, around 20 countries have successfully secured domestic funding for childhood cancer programmes.
