Sandoz announced the expansion of a pilot project with leading charity World Child Cancer, aimed at improving access to treatment and optimizing survival outcomes for children suffering from cancer in four developing countries.
"It is just unacceptable that children's odds of surviving cancer depend so much on geography. In developed countries, 80% now survive, but in developing countries it's still only about 10%. World Child Cancer is changing this - in our programs we can raise that survival rate to around 60%," Jon Rosser, Chief Executive of World Child Cancer said. "We are very excited at this growing partnership with Sandoz, which will enable us to prevent so many children dying without even a diagnosis and without effective pain relief. We believe that all children, regardless of where they live, deserve better."
The agreement builds on an existing partnership with World Child Cancer in the Philippines, where Sandoz is funding staff training needs and helping children to access diagnosis and subsequent treatment. It expands the partnership to cover Ghana, Mexico and Myanmar.
These particular projects were chosen because of the gravity of the situation in the four regions concerned: across all four, an estimated 6,000 children develop cancer each year, but only approximately 20% even receive a diagnosis, let alone effective treatment.
"These projects will take simple, pragmatic measures to attack cancer where it is most vulnerable: among children suffering from forms of cancer that are often absolutely treatable,” Peter Stenico, Sandoz Head of Oncology said. “Together with World Child Cancer, we believe we can make a real difference by enhancing the standard of care for children in these countries and, ultimately, improving childhood cancer survival rates."