Childhood Cancer: Advancing the Global Initiative

Background

Building on the momentum of the 4th High-Level Meeting on NCDs, this side event will celebrate progress under the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC). It will highlight the critical contributions of SIOP and its partners while charting a decisive path toward achieving the GICC’s 2030 goals: increasing global childhood cancer survival and reducing suffering for all.

This platform will provide a unique opportunity to reaffirm collective commitment and accelerate evidence-based action led by the SIOP community. Focus will be placed on closing data gaps, informing policy development, and guiding priority interventions—all to ensure equitable access to care and improved outcomes for children with cancer worldwide.

Objectives

  • Take stock of progress and reaffirm commitment to the vision of leaving no child behind, with the GICC targets of at least 60% survival and the elimination of suffering by 2030.

  • Showcase pioneering collaborative projects catalysed by the GICC—including workforce mapping, research capacity strengthening, and improved access to medicines—while presenting a renewed action plan to scale and sustain efforts through durable partnerships.

  • Highlight the central role of people with lived experience, alongside families and caregivers, in shaping context-specific research and policy to close equity gaps in childhood cancer care.

Agenda Highlights:

  • Opening remarks: Guillermo Chantada (SIOP President), Andrew Kung, Chair, (Department of Pediatrics, MSK)

  • Panel 1: Global Mapping & Workforce of Tomorrow – featuring Maite Gorostegui (SIOP Global Mapping), Cath Lam (St Jude Global), André Ilbawi (WHO), David Abramson (MSK), Joyce Kambugu (SIOP Africa President)

  • Panel 2: Driving Equity through Access to Medicines & Research Capacity – featuring Roberta Ortiz (WHO), Liliana Vasquez (PAHO), Carl Allen (SIOP PARC), Gevorg Tamamyan (SIOP Asia President), Alejandra Méndez (CCI President Elect), Claire Wakefield (SIOP Oceania President)

  • Closing Commitments: Bente Mikkelsen (St Jude Global), Guillermo Chantada (SIOP), Carlos Rodríguez-Galindo (St Jude Global)

This event is open to everyone interested in advancing childhood cancer care and outcomes worldwide, and registration is free of charge.

Register now to secure your spot for the livestream!