Wafaa M Rashed, Chair and Founder of Pan-African PGS Education and Research Initiative, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Childhood Cancer as an Equity Imperative: Reflections on the GBD 2023 Analysis.
Our latest commentary in The Lancet engages with the Global Burden of Disease 2023 analysis on childhood and adolescent cancer, providing the most comprehensive estimates to date of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) from 1990 to 2023.
The findings are stark. While survival exceeds 80% in high-income settings, it remains below 20% in many low-resource regions-particularly across Africa. These disparities are not biological-they are systemic, and therefore actionable.
‘Where a child is born still determines whether they survive cancer. This is not a scientific limitation-it is a policy failure.’
In our commentary, we outline urgent priorities:
- Strengthening cancer registries and data systems.
- Expanding access to early and accurate diagnosis.
- Investing in treatment capacity and continuity of care.
- Advancing regional and global collaborations.
The analysis also highlights likely underdiagnosis in several regions-suggesting that the true burden remains underestimated.
As we move toward the WHO target of 60% survival by 2030, incremental progress will not be sufficient. Coordinated, equity-driven policy action is essential.
I am grateful to my co-authors-Julia Heck, Anupong Sirirungreung, and Juan Manuel Mejía Aranguré-for this important collaboration.
The evidence is clear. The response must now match its urgency.”
Title: Childhood cancer: an equity test for global health
Authors: Julia E Heck, Wafaa M Rashed, Anupong Sirirungreung, Juan Manuel Mejia-Arangure
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