Ziroat Mirziyoyeva Calls for Reducing Gap in Childhood Cancer Survival at UN

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — In New York, during the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, together with the World Health Organization, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the Zamin Foundation, held an event titled “Global Movement to Improve Survival and Reduce Suffering of Children with Cancer and Other Life-Threatening Diseases.”

The event was attended by Ziroat Mirziyoyeva, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Zamin Foundation.

Speaking to the participants, Mirziyoyeva emphasized that over two billion children worldwide are at risk or already affected by non-communicable diseases, with millions fighting cancer. She highlighted the stark disparity in survival rates, noting that over 80% of children with cancer survive in developed countries, while in developing nations the rate remains below 30%.

“This gap is unacceptable. We must take steps to prevent such a tragedy,” she stated.

The event was attended by first ladies from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Angola, Vietnam, Guatemala, and Serbia; the spouse of the Prime Minister of Lebanon; WHO Director-General; ECOSOC President; St. Jude Hospital leadership; and health ministers from over 20 countries including Turkey, Angola, Armenia, Bangladesh, Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Mongolia, UAE, Peru, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, Chad, and Jamaica. Representatives from health systems, international organizations, and civil society also participated.

A particularly moving moment was the story of Samira Idrisova, a graduate and volunteer of Mehrli Maktab, who shared her personal experience battling a serious illness.

Participants reaffirmed their commitment to increasing childhood cancer survival rates to 60% by 2030 through the development of equitable and resilient healthcare systems tailored to local contexts. Discussions also focused on improving pediatric cancer treatment and advancing global initiatives to combat sickle cell anemia.