{"entity":{"id":"global-oncology-access","kind":"technology","name":"Global oncology and access in low- and middle-income countries","aka":[],"tldr":"Seventy percent of cancer deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where radiotherapy machines, pathologists, essential medicines and palliative care are scarce. Global oncology works on affordable, adapted care and the systems to deliver it.","summary":"The Lancet Oncology Commissions (2010, 2015 radiotherapy GTFRCC, 2020 sustainable care) quantified the gaps: ~28 African countries have no radiotherapy, one pathologist per million people in parts of Africa, and cancer survival for children ~20% versus ~80% in high-income countries. Responses include the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (2018, target 60% survival by 2030), the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative (2020: 90-70-90 targets), the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative, the WHO Essential Medicines List for cancer (updated 2023-25 to include trastuzumab, PD-1 inhibitors), the Access to Oncology Medicines Coalition (ATOM, UICC/2022), pooled procurement (St Jude-WHO Global Platform for childhood cancer medicines, delivering to 50 countries from 2025), differential pricing and generic/biosimilar entry, treatment protocols adapted for resource levels (NCCN Harmonized Guidelines for Africa, SIOP PODC), twinning programmes, telepathology and AI-assisted screening, and workforce training (AORTIC, ASCO International). Rays of Hope (IAEA, 2022) targets radiotherapy expansion. Cancer is increasingly part of universal health coverage debates.","status":"emerging","asOf":"2026-09-08","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_health","links":[{"label":"WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer","url":"https://www.who.int/initiatives/the-global-initiative-for-childhood-cancer"},{"label":"Lancet Oncology Commission: radiotherapy (2015)","url":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00222-3"},{"label":"UICC ATOM Coalition","url":"https://www.uicc.org/what-we-do/thematic-areas/access-oncology-medicines-atom-coalition"}],"tags":["gap-fill","equity","global"],"related":["radiotherapy-access-gap"],"cancers":["cervical","kaposi-sarcoma","wilms-tumor","retinoblastoma","all-leukemia","hcc","esophageal"],"sections":["prevention","supportive-care"],"technologies":["hpv-vaccine","palliative-care","oncology-nursing","telehealth-oncology","colorectal-screening"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":["iarc","tata-memorial"],"pathways":[],"terms":["who-essential-medicines","cancer-health-disparities"],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":[],"keyPapers":["paper-atun-lancet-oncol"],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Match the delivery system to the resource level without abandoning evidence: prioritise high-cure, low-cost interventions (cervical screening/vaccination, childhood cancer protocols, essential chemotherapy and surgery, palliative care) while building pathology, radiotherapy and workforce capacity.","strengths":["Large, cheap gains available (HPV vaccination, childhood ALL, Wilms, Burkitt, cervical screening)","Pooled procurement and biosimilars are lowering prices","International targets create accountability"],"limitations":["Financing and workforce shortfalls dwarf aid flows","Cancer under-prioritised relative to infectious disease","Data systems (registries) weak; late presentation common"]},"route":"/technologies/global-oncology-access/","neighbours":{"technology":[{"id":"rejuv-access-survivorship-care-lmic","kind":"technology","name":"After treatment in low and middle income countries: mostly nothing","route":"/technologies/rejuv-access-survivorship-care-lmic/"},{"id":"biosimilar-manufacturing","kind":"technology","name":"Biosimilar manufacturing and comparability","route":"/technologies/biosimilar-manufacturing/"},{"id":"cobalt-60-teletherapy","kind":"technology","name":"Cobalt-60 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oncology","route":"/technologies/telehealth-oncology/"},{"id":"via-cervical-screening","kind":"technology","name":"Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical screening","route":"/technologies/via-cervical-screening/"},{"id":"rejuv-access-what-it-costs-elsewhere","kind":"technology","name":"What recovery costs in the rest of the world","route":"/technologies/rejuv-access-what-it-costs-elsewhere/"},{"id":"rejuv-rehab-commissioning-inequity","kind":"technology","name":"Where rehabilitation is commissioned, and who misses out","route":"/technologies/rejuv-rehab-commissioning-inequity/"}],"cancer":[{"id":"all-leukemia","kind":"cancer","name":"Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia","route":"/cancers/all-leukemia/"},{"id":"burkitt-lymphoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Burkitt lymphoma","route":"/cancers/burkitt-lymphoma/"},{"id":"cervical","kind":"cancer","name":"Cervical cancer","route":"/cancers/cervical/"},{"id":"hcc","kind":"cancer","name":"Hepatocellular carcinoma","route":"/cancers/hcc/"},{"id":"hiv-associated-lymphoma","kind":"cancer","name":"HIV-associated (AIDS-related) lymphomas","route":"/cancers/hiv-associated-lymphoma/"},{"id":"kaposi-sarcoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Kaposi sarcoma","route":"/cancers/kaposi-sarcoma/"},{"id":"esophageal","kind":"cancer","name":"Oesophageal cancer","route":"/cancers/esophageal/"},{"id":"retinoblastoma","kind":"cancer","name":"Retinoblastoma","route":"/cancers/retinoblastoma/"},{"id":"wilms-tumor","kind":"cancer","name":"Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma)","route":"/cancers/wilms-tumor/"}],"section":[{"id":"prevention","kind":"section","name":"Prevention & Risk","route":"/fronts/prevention/"},{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"}],"institution":[{"id":"actrec","kind":"institution","name":"Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in 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