India accounts for nearly 70 percent of all childhood cancer cases recorded across the eight member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The finding comes from a new population-based study published in the respected medical journal The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia. The report was covered by NDTV.
The study analyzed childhood cancer incidence and mortality rates in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, based on 2022 GLOBOCAN data. According to the findings, an estimated 37,716 children were newly diagnosed with cancer across the SAARC region in 2022. Of these, 25,939 cases were identified in India alone, accounting for 68.8 percent of the region’s total cases.
Pakistan ranked second, with 7,841 cases (20.8 percent).
However, researchers said India’s dominance in these figures isn’t due to population size alone. Age-specific cancer rates and mortality rates vary significantly between countries, largely reflecting disparities in healthcare system capacity, speed of cancer detection, and access to proper treatment.
Childhood cancer in SAARC countries (2022)
According to the study’s estimates, alongside 37,716 new cases in the SAARC region in 2022, roughly 17,698 children died.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, cancer surveillance systems in South Asia are still not uniform everywhere. However, India has taken initiatives to strengthen its system.
A 2025 report found that India’s first dedicated childhood cancer registry, based in Chennai, reported that 136 out of every million children were diagnosed with cancer in 2022-23, with a two-year survival rate after treatment of 60 to 70 percent.
Leukemia (blood cancer) was the most common cancer among children across all eight SAARC countries, accounting for 35 to 50 percent of total cases. Central nervous system tumors ranked second, accounting for roughly 12 percent of cases. This distribution closely matches global data from the World Health Organization.
The report notes that childhood cancer differs significantly from adult cancer.
Childhood cancer is not caused by lifestyle factors or lack of awareness, and it cannot be prevented early through routine screening. As a result, seeking prompt medical consultation when any unusual symptoms appear remains the primary safeguard.
What explains the huge gap in mortality rates?
One of the study’s most significant findings concerned the “mortality-to-incidence ratio” — the gap between cases diagnosed and resulting deaths.
Among SAARC countries, this ratio was lowest in Sri Lanka (0.30) and highest in Afghanistan (0.57). In other words, the death rate among diagnosed children is far lower in Sri Lanka but much higher in Afghanistan. The mortality rate is particularly severe for central nervous system tumors. Experts say this gap demonstrates just how significant the differences are in medical infrastructure and specialized care across these countries.
The World Health Organization has said that while more than 80 percent of children with cancer fully recover in developed countries, that rate remains below 30 percent in low- and middle-income countries. Late detection, incorrect treatment, financial hardship, treatment discontinuation, and side effects are responsible for the higher death toll.
Researchers identified two top priorities for India: first, collecting accurate and reliable data, and second, delivering treatment to marginalized communities.
To strengthen necessary systems, researchers emphasized increasing cross-country cooperation within the SAARC region, establishing strong country-specific cancer registries, and following standardized, specific treatment protocols for leukemia and other cancers.
Is childhood cancer fully curable?
Yes — with timely detection and proper treatment, most childhood cancers can be fully cured. According to the World Health Organization, chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and modern therapies can restore children to normal life.
The World Health Organization has set a target of raising the global childhood cancer survival rate to at least 60 percent by 2030. The current challenge in South Asia is ensuring a child’s survival does not depend on which country they were born in or whether their family can afford treatment. Ensuring quality treatment for everyone, regardless of geographic or financial barriers, is now the need of the hour.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report