Childhood cancer medicines market shaping strategy 2026–2030

Childhood cancer medicines market shaping strategy 2026–2030

WHO
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Closing the childhood cancer survival gap through sustainable access to medicines 

 

The report “Closing the childhood cancer survival gap through sustainable access to medicines: market shaping strategy 2026–2030” builds on the experience of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, jointly established by WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in collaboration with UNICEF and PAHO Strategic Fund.  

Since medicines first began reaching participating countries in 2025, implementation has shown that expanding access alone is not enough. A reliable access for the future requires stronger markets that can consistently supply the medicines children need. 

The strategy identifies two of the most significant constraints affecting childhood cancer medicines globally: a fragile and concentrated supplier base for essential childhood cancer medicines, and a fragmented and underfunded demand that contributes to uncertainty and supply disruptions.  

To address these challenges, the market shaping strategy sets out 10 coordinated interventions to strengthen supply, consolidate demand, strengthen regulatory processes, improve procurement and financing, and foster innovation. The interventions are sequenced over the period 2026–2030, beginning with actions to stabilize supply and consolidate demand in the near-term and building market transparency and domestic financing in the medium-term, before advancing longer-term measures to strengthen sustainability and support innovation.

 

Closing the childhood cancer survival gap through sustainable access to essential medicines: market shaping strategy (2026–2030)
Featured publication | 15 September 2026

Closing the childhood cancer survival gap through sustainable...

Developed through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines and informed by market analysis and stakeholder consultations, this publication presents WHO’s first market shaping strategy for childhood cancer medicines.
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New strategy to build a healthier market for childhood cancer medicines

  • Childhood cancer is largely curable — but where a child lives dictates survival. Survival remains below 30% in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), against more than 80% in high-income countries. Unreliable access to quality-assured medicines is a major driver of that gap. 
  • Lack of access is a failure of health systems and markets to deliver medicines rather than lack of knowledge of what works. Few quality-assured suppliers, fragmented demand, lengthy regulatory processes and unaffordable prices constrain timely access for children in need. 
  • The Global Platform is now working upstream on the root causes of market failures. The Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform), led by WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in collaboration with UNICEF and the PAHO Strategic Fund has moved beyond supplying medicines to addressing the market failures that impede access. The Market Shaping Strategy 2026–2030 sets out how this can be achieved through coordinated action. 


 

A shared opportunity

Closing the childhood cancer survival gap is both a public health imperative and a matter of equity. No child should be denied the chance of cure because of market failures. The market shaping strategy offers a practical roadmap for governments, international organizations, manufacturers, clinicians and civil society to act to translate market shaping actions into improved access. 

 

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