Jordan’s Ministry of Health, in partnership with WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, delivers quality-assured cancer medicines to over 3,000 children, making life-saving treatment free for all patients under 19 through the King Hussein Cancer Center.
Jordan has become the first country in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, and among the first globally, to receive life-saving medicines through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, a landmark achievement announced on World Childhood Cancer Day.
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The delivery marks the culmination of a partnership formalized in August 2024, when the Government of Jordan signed a Letter of Agreement with the World Health Organization (WHO). Under the agreement, Jordan will receive 46 types of essential, quality-assured medicines, benefiting all children with cancer in the country, including refugees. The Global Platform is a pioneering initiative co-founded by WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2021. It was designed to eliminate gaps in access to childhood cancer medicines across low- and middle-income countries by ensuring an uninterrupted, quality-assured supply.
Leading the national rollout is the Ministry of Health, working alongside the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), the Jordan Food and Drug Administration, Jordanian Royal Medical Services, and King Abdullah University Hospital. Together, these institutions developed a comprehensive framework covering procurement, safe delivery, quality control, and system-wide distribution.
Minister of Health Dr Ibrahim Al-Bdour said, “the initiative aligns directly with a broader national commitment. The Government of Jordan has declared free cancer treatment for patients up to the age of 19 years through the King Hussein Cancer Center”, he stated, describing the Global Platform as a critical pillar supporting that policy.
Dr Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, Executive Vice President of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Co-Chair of the Global Platform Steering Committee, said the platform brings together St. Jude, WHO, UNICEF, and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with a shared mission ensuring that no child is denied treatment based on where they are born.
Dr Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative to Jordan, credited four years of focused preparation on readiness, capacity-building, and long-term sustainability for making the pioneering initiative possible. She commended the Ministry of Health for its leadership throughout the process.
Jordan currently records approximately 500 new childhood cancer cases each year. The Global Platform is expected to significantly improve treatment access for more than 3,000 children presently living with cancer in the country.
The platform is now active in 12 countries, including Ecuador, Ghana, Nepal, Pakistan, Senegal, and Zambia, with an overarching target of reaching approximately 120,000 children across low- and middle-income countries over the next five to seven years.
