WHO Director-General's remarks at the UNGA side event - A Global Movement to Improve Survival and Reduce Suffering for Children with Cancer and other Catastrophic Diseases – 24[...]

Your Excellency First Lady Ziroat Mirziyoyeva (Zee-ROH-aht Meer-zee-YOH-yeh-vah);

Your Excellency First Lady Emine Erdoğan (EH-meen-a ER-do-whan);

Your Excellency First Lady Lucrecia Peinado (LU-cre-sia PEI-na-do);

Your Excellency First Lady Tamara Vucic (Ta-MA-ra VU-chich);

Your Excellency First Lady Ana Dias Lourenço (A-na DI-as LOU-ren-so);

Dr James Downing,

Honourable Ministers,

Dear colleagues and friends,

I thank Uzbekistan and St Jude for organizing today's event, and for their leadership and partnership on this issue.

Seven years ago, at the 3^rd UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, I had a meeting with Dr Downing, where he introduced me to a young cancer survivor from El Salvador called Gabo.

Not too long ago, Gabo's form of childhood cancer would have probably been a death sentence in countries like El Salvador.

But thanks to the treatment he was able to receive with support from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Gabo was in remission.

The next night I was due to speak at the Global Citizen concert in Central Park.

I decided to take Gabo with me to join me on stage, to tell the crowd his story. When he told them he was in remission, the place went wild. It was a wonderful moment.

And they're the kind of moments that WHO's partnership with St Jude is creating.

Every child with cancer deserves a fighting chance, no matter what country or community they are from. That is why we launched the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer.

The results tell the story. So far, more than 400 000 children in 80 low- and middle-income countries have benefited.

We are moving steadily toward our target of 60% survival by 2030, the same as that in the Political Declaration being considered tomorrow.

Last year, we launched the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines, so that every child can have access to life-saving medicines.

Thousands of children are already benefiting.

And today, I met Samira, a 17-year-old cancer survivor from Uzbekistan.

Her story is an inspiration and shows why this work is so important.

Excellencies,

Our progress has only been possible thanks to your political leadership, the dedication of advocates, and our partnerships.

The collaboration between WHO and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a cornerstone of that progress - and we are committed to building on it.

Let's work together, to make sure that every child gets the care they need, no matter who they are or where they live.

Because everybody deserves a fighting chance.

I thank you.