Cancer In Low-Income Countries: The Global Burden of Disease 2023 study, published in The Lancet, reveals some startling statistics about this disparity. Let us explain.

Why are cancer cases increasing in children?

Why Childhood Cancer Deaths Are Higher In Poor Countries: Cancer in children is becoming a serious and growing concern across the world, but the most worrying thing is that most of the cases and deaths are occurring in poor and middle-income countries. The Global Burden of Disease 2023 study published in The Lancet has revealed many shocking figures regarding this inequality. According to the report, in the year 2023, about 3.77 lakh new cases of cancer were reported in children across the world, while about 1.44 lakh children died. This disease has become one of the leading causes of death in children and is taking more lives than diseases like measles, TB and HIV/AIDS.

More deaths in low and middle-income countries

The most worrying aspect is that approximately 94 percent of these deaths were recorded in low- and middle-income countries. This means that where resources are scarce, this disease is proving to be the most fatal for children. In India, approximately 17,000 children died from cancer in 2023, making it the tenth leading cause of death among children. Despite this, childhood cancer has not yet been prioritized in India's national cancer control program, according to Dr. Swarup Mitra, an oncologist at Cancer Care Hospital, Darbhanga. It is essential that childhood cancer be immediately included in national cancer control plans.

The situation in South Asia

South Asia remains a major epicenter of this crisis, accounting for approximately 20.5 percent of the world's childhood cancer deaths. Furthermore, these deaths have increased by approximately 16.9 percent between 1990 and 2023. While there is a positive aspect, some reduction in deaths globally, the benefits have not reached all countries equally. Improved treatment in high-income countries has increased the chances of child survival, while in poorer countries, the lack of timely diagnosis and treatment poses a significant obstacle.

What do experts say?

Lisa Force, lead author of the study, says that this disparity is due to inequalities in health services. Late diagnosis, lack of necessary treatment, and health system weaknesses are putting children's lives at risk. The report also states that 85 percent of new childhood cancer cases and 94 percent of deaths occur in these low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, 94 percent of DALYs, or "Disability Adjusted Life Years," are also recorded in these countries, showing that the impact of the disease is not limited to death, but also impacts children's quality of life.