Opinion

Apr 19, 2025, 01:47

Essential Medicines for Children with Cancer: From Access to Action – A Powerful OncoDaily Virtual Forum

On April 15, 2025, from 8:00 to 11:00 AM EST, OncoDaily brought together some of the world’s leading voices in pediatric oncology for a pivotal event — “Essential Medicines for Children with Cancer: From Access to Action.” This virtual forum was more than just a meeting of minds; it was a global call to action.

The focus? Ensuring children around the world—especially those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)—have timely and equitable access to essential cancer medicines. At the heart of the discussion was the WHO Essential Medicines List for Children, with new applications such as Blinatumomab and Temozolomide under the spotlight.

A High-Caliber Lineup of Experts

The forum was chaired by Dr. Bente Mikkelsen, Director of Global Engagement Strategies at St. Jude Global, and featured an outstanding roster of global leaders and change-makers in pediatric cancer care:

Dr. Guillermo Chantada, President of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology, offered a strategic overview of global collaboration.
Dr. Andre Ilbawi, WHO’s technical lead on cancer control, discussed global policy and system-level solutions.
Dr. Scott Howard, CEO of Resonance and a key figure in global oncology development, shed light on practical implementation efforts across countries.
Dr. Roberto Vasquez shared on-the-ground experiences from El Salvador, bringing critical LMIC perspectives to the forefront.
Prof. Gilles Vassal, a respected European leader in pediatric oncology, emphasized the importance of research-driven progress.
Manette Le Grange of Servier highlighted the intersection between corporate responsibility and childhood cancer care.
Dr. Yizhou Zhang and Dr. Anna Avagyan brought valuable insights from China and Armenia, respectively, both demonstrating innovation in regional care models.

Essential Medicines for Children with Cancer

The Role of Global Initiatives

A key theme was the role of impactful global collaborations such as ACT4Children and the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (GPACCM). These initiatives are redefining what’s possible when governments, NGOs, academic institutions, and industry work together with one goal — saving children’s lives.

From Access to Action

This forum wasn’t just about identifying problems — it was about mobilizing solutions. From expanding the Essential Medicines List to building sustainable supply chains, the path forward is clear: We must turn policy into practice, promises into treatments, and hope into healing.

As the fight against childhood cancer continues, events like this remind us that access to essential medicines is not a privilege — it’s a right.

Want to be part of this movement?

You can still catch the insights from the Essential Medicines for Children with Cancer: From Access to Action forum by visiting the official OncoDaily website and the OncoDailyTV YouTube channel.

Let’s move from access to action — together.

By: Md Foorquan Hashmi, MD, Sr. Editor, OncoDaily: India Bureau

Access to Action ACT4Children Bente Mikkelsen blinatumomab cancer essential medicines GPACCM Guillermo Chantada OncoDaily Oncology Scott Howard temozolomide WHO

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