The ACT for Children Foundation, a global public-private partnership working to improve childhood cancer outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, marked an important milestone with a visit to the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center in Yerevan, together with the Armenian childhood cancer patient organization City of Smile.
Through this collaboration, 139 children in Armenia have already benefited from ACT for Children support. This collaboration includes access to quality-assured, innovative treatments for childhood cancers, alongside patient and family support initiatives developed in partnership with local stakeholders.
Among these treatments are innovative therapies for pediatric leukemia, the most common childhood cancer, which today is largely curable in high-income countries. While survival rates for childhood leukemia now exceed 90% in many high-income countries, children in many parts of the world still face far lower chances of cure due to limited access to essential medicines and supportive care.
Today, representatives from the ACT for Children partnership met with clinicians, hospital leadership, and patient advocates at Yeolyan Hospital. They shared views on how to strengthen collaboration in support of the ongoing efforts of Armenia’s healthcare community to improve care for children diagnosed with cancer.
In Armenia, the collaboration with Yeolyan Hospital and City of Smile reflects a shared commitment to supporting children and families throughout the cancer care journey.
Support activities developed in partnership with local stakeholders includes:
- Giving access to quality-assured, innovative medicines for childhood cancers
- Strengthening clinical expertise and hospital capacity
- Supporting patient registries and data systems
- Providing caregiver education and psychosocial support
- Developing nutrition programs for vulnerable families
- Supporting “home-from-home” accommodation for families traveling long distances for treatment
ACT for Children is a public-private initiative that brings together pharmaceutical companies, international organizations, clinicians, and patient advocates. This initiative aims to expand access to innovative cancer medicines while supporting the development of sustainable pediatric oncology care structures.
Since the start of ACT for Children implementation globally, the initiative has reached more than 3,000 children across 8 countries, including the provision of innovative medicines to more than 700 children diagnosed with leukemia.
ACT for Children works in close collaboration with local hospitals, healthcare professionals, patient organizations, and national health systems, supporting initiatives that complement existing efforts and respond to locally identified needs.
Through these collaborative efforts, ACT for Children seeks to contribute to an environment where children diagnosed with cancer have the best possible chance to achieve cure.
Partner Statements
To reflect the collaborative nature of this initiative, representatives from partner organizations, clinical institutions, and patient advocacy groups shared their perspectives on the impact of this partnership and its role in advancing childhood cancer care
City of Smile Representative
Following the international experience of its partners in delivering high-quality cancer care, the City of Smile Foundation is committed to supporting children and young adults battling cancer in Armenia, ensuring that all beneficiaries have equal access to the best available treatment and care in the country.
Thanks to the joint efforts of Act for Children, Servier, and Amgen, in collaboration with the City of Smile Foundation, a modern ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia) treatment protocol will soon be implemented for children and young adults at the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Centre. This initiative is expected to have a significant impact, improving care across several key areas.
Director of Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center
This partnership is critical because it brings us together around a shared commitment to advancing pediatric oncology services in Armenia, and it highlights the vital role of international collaboration in improving patient outcomes. The support from the ACT for Children initiative will help us – Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center, deliver modern, high-quality, accessible cancer care to children across the country.
ACT for Children Foundation
Improving outcomes for children with cancer requires strong partnerships between healthcare professionals, patient organizations, governments, and global partners. Our visit to the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center marks an important step in strengthening collaboration with City of Smile and our medical partners in Armenia.
Together, we are working to ensure that children in low- and middle-income countries, diagnosed with cancer have access to high-quality treatment, essential medicines, and the support they need to achieve cure.
Amgen Representative
Amgen is pleased to collaborate with ACT for Children and partner organisations like Servier, as our collective interests align on the need for better childhood cancer care – and outcomes – regardless of the setting. A systems approach to comprehensive childhood cancer care is key to ensure that all components of health care delivery can be organised to contribute maximum benefit, and ACT for Children endeavours to address many of these systems components. It’s a model we look forward to supporting in other settings, and glad that our first program engagement can be at the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center.
Servier Representative
ACT for Children reflects Servier’s commitment to acting as a collaborative catalyst alongside partners to address global disparities in childhood cancer care. Through this collaboration in Armenia with Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center and City of Smile, the initiative aims to expand access to innovative treatments while also supporting medical training, strengthening local care capacity, and contributing to a more comprehensive environment of care for children with cancer.
Childhood Cancer International (CCI)
Childhood Cancer International (CCI) is the largest patient support organization working for childhood cancer, dedicated to improving the lives of children with cancer, their families, and survivors. Through our collaboration with ACT for Children, we are bridging medical innovation and patient-centered care, ensuring that programs are informed by the lived experiences of families and survivors.
Together with City of Smile, we are addressing critical nutritional needs by training specialized nutritionists and providing four nutritious meals per day to children undergoing treatment—free of charge, removing socio-economic barriers for families. As patient support organizations, we see firsthand how vulnerable children are to nutritional deficiencies during treatment and how challenging it can be for families to provide proper nutrition. Through these partnerships, we are combining expertise, resources, and global networks to save more children’s lives, demonstrating that multi-stakeholder collaboration is essential to advancing childhood cancer care worldwide.
IDA
At IDA Foundation / NCDconnect, we are proud to contribute our technical and supply-chain expertise to the ACT for Children initiative. By ensuring a secure and dependable supply chain – including managing complex customs processes and ensuring strict temperaturecontrolled transport – we help to ensure continuity of care and minimise the risk of treatment interruptions. This progress review meeting marked an important step toward aligning future priorities and advancing our shared commitment to improving patient outcomes.
We are very pleased to collaborate with Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center and ACT for Children members to build a resilient access ecosystem that ensures every child receives lifesaving treatment.
Resonance
Improving outcomes in childhood cancer requires not only access to innovative treatments, but also strong data systems, clinical capacity, and continuous learning within care teams. At Resonance, we are proud to support the ACT for Children partnership by working alongside local institutions to strengthen data infrastructure, enable real-world evidence generation, and enhance delivery of high quality care.
Collaborations like the one at the Yeolyan Hematology and Oncology Center demonstrate how integrated, locally driven approaches can help ensure that more children have the opportunity to achieve cure.
About ACT for Children
ACT for Children (Access Cancer Treatment) is a global public-private initiative, initiated by Servier, and now governed by an independent not-for-profit foundation. The initiative works with hospitals, patient organizations, and international partners to help improve childhood cancer outcomes by expanding access to innovative cancer medicines while supporting locally driven initiatives that strengthen pediatric cancer care.