Translated with AI
"Every child with cancer deserves a chance at life, no matter what country they were born in. That's why we launched the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative. We are confidently moving towards our goal of increasing the survival rate to 60 percent by 2030," said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at UN headquarters in New York. This was reported by the UN press service.
As part of the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, a forum entitled "A Global Movement to Improve Survival and Reduce Suffering for Children with Cancer and Other Life-Threatening Diseases" was held at the organization's headquarters. The meeting was chaired by First Lady of Uzbekistan Ziroat Mirziyoyeva.
The forum was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the World Health Organization, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the Zamin Foundation.
Addressing the participants, Ziroat Mirziyoyeva emphasized the need for joint action: "Currently, more than two billion children worldwide are at risk of or suffer from non-communicable diseases. This is almost a third of the planet's population. Millions of them are battling cancer. Despite advances in modern medicine, survival rates remain uneven: in developed countries, they exceed 80 percent, while in developing countries, they are less than 30 percent. This gap is unacceptably wide. We must take steps to prevent tragedies."
Ghebreyesus briefed the forum participants on the achievements of the WHO and St. Jude collaboration, thanks to which more than 400,000 children in 80 low- and middle-income countries have already received life-saving treatment. He cited examples of young patients whose stories have become symbols of hope: Gabo from El Salvador, whose life was saved by treatment, and 17-year-old Samira from Uzbekistan, who inspired the audience with her story of recovery.
"We will work together to ensure that every child receives the help they need, no matter who they are or where they live. Because everyone deserves a chance at life," the WHO chief emphasized.
The forum has become an important platform for uniting the efforts of governments, international organizations, and civil society in the fight against childhood cancer and other serious diseases.
