Miriam Mutebi: Children’s lives cut short by cancer is a tragedy we can’t ignore

It’s time to turn the tide and give every child the chance to thrive.”

Read a post by Miriam Mutebi:

“We all can probably think back to our rather bucolic upbringings when with unadulterated joy and excitement, we made it our mission as children to ‘explore’ the world.

For us who grew up in Africa, our childhoods were filled with creativity—building toys from mud with our hands, playing with sticks, and climbing mango trees to claim the ripest fruit. Sometimes, we were left with “mango fractures” from falling out of those trees.

Imagine that childlike spirit and freedom cut short because life’s fire is snuffed out too soon. Where is the outrage for these potentially curable childhood concerns?

Cancer claims the lives of more than 100,000 children each year. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that 80% of pediatric cancers are treatable with existing interventions. Yet, many of these deaths occur in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs), where children often lack access to essential health services.

In high-income countries, children with cancer have a survival rate of over 90%, thanks to advances in medical technology, early detection, and comprehensive treatment programs. In LMICs, survival rates can be as low as 5-10%. Health systems struggle with limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a severe shortage of trained healthcare professionals.

Many children are diagnosed late when the disease is advanced, and even when diagnosed in time, access to treatment is often limited and costly.
This situation is unacceptable, especially when the tools and knowledge to save these children’s lives already exist. The challenge lies in ensuring that lifesaving interventions are accessible to all children, regardless of where they live.

The World Health Organization’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, established in 2018, aims to increase the survival rate of children with cancer globally to at least 60% by 2030.

At AORTIC- Africa, we are working to address these disparities by advocating for better cancer care across the continent. Initiatives focused on early detection, treatment access, and supporting families are critical steps in closing the gap between high-income countries and LMICs.

By investing in LMIC health systems and ensuring that every child has access to necessary care, we can change the narrative for thousands of children and their families. No child should ever die from a treatable disease simply because of where they were born.

It’s time to turn the tide on pediatric cancer and give every child the chance to live a full, healthy life—and yes, get more mangoes in their belly.“

Miriam Mutebi is a Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She is the President of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), and past president for Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (KESHO) and on the Board of Directors of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

She is the co-founder of the Pan African Women’s Association of Surgeons and is part of the Kenya Association of Women Surgeons. She is an avid supporter for the education and support for women, especially in surgery and she aims to provide mentorship for women in surgery and to improve women’s health and surgical care in Africa. She is currently pursuing a pilot’s license in order to extend breast care services to marginalized areas.