Pakistan and the World Health Organization have signed an agreement to provide free cancer medicines to children. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of the United States will provide free cancer medicines to 8,000 children in Pakistan annually, which will reduce the mortality rate of children suffering from cancer by 60 percent. Pakistan will receive $200 million in 3 years. Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal called it a major breakthrough.
An agreement has been signed between the World Health Organization and the Ministry of National Health for access to cancer medicines for children. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of the United States will provide free medicines to 8,000 children suffering from cancer in Pakistan every year.
Addressing the agreement ceremony, Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that these free medicines will save children suffering from cancer. There are 8,000 cases annually, 7 out of 10 children die, only 3 survive.
Under the agreement, $200 million will be spent on the treatment of children with cancer by December 2027. Initially, medicines will be provided free of charge to 7 centers in the federal and provincial governments and then to all cancer treatment centers.
Cancer expert Nuzhat Yasmin says that chemotherapy is very expensive, it impoverishes the well-off. Earlier, our medicines used to come from the treasury. The benefit of the agreement is that now free medicines and quality medicines will be available.
Cancer expert Alia Ahmed said that these medicines will be available free of charge for those diagnosed with cancer. There are 56 types of chemotherapy medicines, including medicines whose single dose costs up to Rs 150,000.
Financial support for the treatment of children with cancer will be provided through the World Health Organization.
UNICEF also signed an agreement to cooperate in the diagnosis and treatment of cholera patients in Pakistan. Under the agreement, cholera deaths in the country will be reduced by 90% by 2030.
