Summary:
Childhood cancer is an increasing global health concern, with nearly 94 percent of related deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, where access to care is limited. In India alone, about 17,000 children died from cancer in 2023, yet it remains underprioritized in national health programmes. Globally, 3.77 lakh new cases and 1.44 lakh deaths were reported, making cancer a leading cause of child mortality, surpassing diseases like measles, tuberculosis, and HIV. South Asia accounts for a significant share of these deaths, and despite overall global improvements, survival rates remain uneven due to disparities in diagnosis and treatment access between high- and low-income regions.
Cancer is increasingly becoming a major concern among children across the world. However, the most alarming fact is that nearly 94 percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, indicating that the disease is most lethal in areas with limited resources. In India, about 17,000 children lost their lives to cancer in 2023, making it the tenth leading cause of death among children. Despite this, childhood cancer has yet to be given priority under India’s National Cancer Control Programme, as noted by Dr. Swarup Mitra, a cancer specialist at Cancer Care Hospital, Darbhanga. This highlights the urgent need to incorporate childhood cancer into national cancer control strategies without delay.
Findings from the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, published in The Lancet, have brought to light several concerning figures related to this issue. The report states that around 3.77 lakh new cases of childhood cancer were recorded worldwide in 2023, while approximately 1.44 lakh children died from the disease. As a result, cancer has become a significant cause of death among children, surpassing illnesses such as measles, tuberculosis, and HIV.
South Asia has become a key center of this crisis, contributing nearly 20.5 percent of global childhood cancer deaths. Additionally, these deaths rose by about 16.9 percent between 1990 and 2023. Although there has been an overall decline in childhood cancer deaths globally, this improvement has not been evenly distributed. Children in high-income countries benefit from better treatment and higher survival rates, while in poorer nations, delayed diagnosis and limited access to proper care remain major challenges.
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