Childhood Cancer

We are dedicated to transforming pediatric cancer care in low- and middle-income countries, working alongside local health systems, NGOs, and regional and international stakeholders to adapt resources to regional needs and enhance pediatric cancer support.

Every Three Minutes, a Child Dies of Cancer

The true number of children afflicted with cancer is unknown because most of them are undiagnosed. Each year, an estimated 400,000 children and adolescents develop cancer.

In high-income countries, where comprehensive services are generally accessible, more than 80% of children diagnosed with cancer recover from the illness. But in low- and middle-income countries, the recovery rate drops to less than 30%. Between 2015 and 2019, the average global five-year childhood cancer survival rate was 83% in North America but less than 12% in Africa.

Most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiotherapy. In other words, the majority of children with cancer can be saved. 

In low- and middle-income countries, there are five main challenges: childhood cancer is often detected too late, there is an insufficient number of well-trained health professionals, appropriate treatment is often unavailable or not affordable, pain management and palliative care are limited, and childhood cancer is often not a health priority.

Our My Child Matters Program

To address the geographic inequality in survival rates and support children with cancer and their families, My Child Matters program was launched in 2005. Its aim? Improve diagnosis, access, and treatment—all while strengthening local healthcare systems.

My Child Matters' vision involves building on its legacy to identify system-changing initiatives, empower local teams leading social or organizational innovations, and support upscaling and cross-fertilization between countries and grant recipients.

To learn more about My Child Matters projects around the world, visit our Open Data Platform

My Child Matters extends beyond immediate care; it has also influenced the wider field through extensive knowledge sharing, with more than 200 scientific publications written and published on our Open Data Platform. With the collective at the heart of Foundation S, we believe sharing experiences and data is essential to accelerate progress in the fight against childhood cancers. Launched in 2022, our My Child Matters Open Data Platform is helping to do just that.

This innovative platform enables researchers, healthcare professionals, families, institutions, communities, and non-governmental organizations to access critical data for better care and outcomes. It offers a user-friendly interface, promoting transparency and knowledge to advance our work against childhood cancer.

Our Impact Since 2005

140,000

children with cancer supported

50,000

healhcare profesionnals supported

88

countries reached

My Child Matters Scope

Pediatric Care

Create the conditions for access to care while ensuring proper pain management, including palliative care.

Family Support

Improve treatment initiation and adherence and support caregivers.

Healthcare Strengthening

Support local healthcare training to ensure positive patient outcomes, early diagnosis, and shared care networks.

The Expert Committee

Our Childhood Cancer Expert Committee is a diverse, high-level international expert committee comprising pediatric oncologists, nurses, family members of children with cancer, and global health specialists.

The Committee advises the strategy of the MCM program and is involved throughout its annual grants program - from reviewing applications to the selection process and offering mentorship and support to our grantees.

Learn more about our collective approach