The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) marked a significant milestone in healthcare, announcing that Jordan is the first member state in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to join the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines (Global Platform).
The pioneering first-of-its-kind platform co-founded by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (St. Jude) and WHO, which was launched in 2021 as a complement to the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC), aims at increasing access to lifesaving childhood cancer medicines, according to a statement.
It brings together global partners to co-design a transformative model for ensuring access to quality-assured childhood cancer medicines in low- and middle-income countries.
The agreement grants Jordan an uninterrupted supply of quality-assured medicines for children with cancer including refugees, free of cost, for the next 5 years.
The Global Platform is co-chaired by WHO and St. Jude with UNICEF serving as the procurement par
tner of the Global Platform responsible for procuring and delivering the medicines to the country, according to the statement.
WHO pledged to continue providing technical support in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and national stakeholders to strengthen the national supply chain management system and pharmacy services, enhance the clinical management of childhood cancer, improve the national regulatory and monitoring systems, and ensure effective and efficient distribution of these medicines within healthcare facilities.
Health Minister Feras Hawari emphasized the importance of Jordan’s involvement in the initiative.
“Today marks another win for Jordan and its health system. Through this agreement, Jordan becomes one of the initial six countries in the Global Platform. This will significantly help improve access to essential cancer medications for around 500 children diagnosed with cancer each year across the country, guaranteeing no child with cancer is left behind, eventually contributing to ac
hieving universal health coverage in Jordan”, he said.
Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, executive vice president at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and co-chair of the Global Platform Steering Committee commented: “We are so pleased to be working with Jordan to implement the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.”
The leadership and collaboration among policy makers, health professionals, regulatory authorities, and many other stakeholders to co-design a model that ensures children in Jordan receive the best quality cancer care is critical to the success of the Global Platform and will serve as an inspiration to other countries expected to join the Global Platform in the coming years,” he said.
WHO Representative in Jordan Jamela Al-Raiby told the ceremony “by joining this Global Platform, Jordan vividly demonstrates its commitment to the health and well-being of its children through enhancing access to essential quality-assured childhood cancer medications, which further substantiates th
e joint efforts of MOH and WHO to strengthen the entire national health system, standardize evidence-based care, optimize supply chains and strengthen health information systems.
The first batch of medicines is expected to arrive in Jordan by the first quarter of 2025 and will be used in the three major health institutions providing childhood cancer care in Jordan namely, King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Royal Medical Services (RMS), and King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH).
National stakeholders, with the support of the Global Platform and WHO Jordan Country Office, will collaborate to create an implementation plan to assure the safe and effective delivery and distribution of medicines.
Source: Jordan News Agency