Pakistan has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide free cancer medicines for children. Under the deal, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the United States will annually supply free cancer medication for the treatment of 8,000 children in Pakistan. This initiative is expected to significantly reduce the mortality rate of children with cancer from 60%.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal hailed the agreement as a major breakthrough. According to the agreement, Pakistan will receive $200 million in aid over the next three years, with expenses for pediatric cancer treatment covered until December 2027.
Initially, seven treatment centers across federal and provincial levels will receive the free medicines, and eventually, all cancer treatment centers in the country will be included.
During the signing ceremony, Minister Kamal noted that these free medicines could save thousands of lives. “Every year, 8,000 new cases are reported, and currently, 7 out of 10 children do not survive,” he said.
Cancer specialist Dr. Nazhat Yasmeen emphasized the financial burden of chemotherapy, saying it often drives even well-off families into poverty. She added that this agreement ensures not only free but high-quality medicines.
Dr. Alia Ahmed, another cancer specialist, mentioned that the agreement covers 56 types of chemotherapy drugs, including some injections that cost up to PKR 150,000 per dose.
Financial assistance for the treatment will be channeled through the World Health Organization.
Additionally, UNICEF has signed an agreement with Pakistan to support the diagnosis and treatment of cholera. The goal is to reduce cholera-related deaths in the country by 90% by 2030.
