“He suddenly smiled. That’s when we became truly happy”: healing childhood cancer in Uzbekistan

That was the beginning of their ordeal battling childhood cancer.

A new WHO/Europe video follows Muhammadkhoja’s difficult path of healing and highlights Uzbekistan’s system of treating childhood cancer with quality-assured effective medicines, supported by WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) and the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.

An MRI changed everything

“At one point, Muhammadkhoja couldn’t even climb the stairs. We thought he was just getting tired in the heat. He became weak and lost weight. We thought it was worms. We treated him for worms for 5 days. The doctor said the worms were gone. But his walking got even worse,” his mother recalls.

Within days, doctors confirmed a large brain tumour, and urgent surgery was recommended. The family had to decide where their son would receive treatment. Medical centres abroad offered care, and after acquaintances offered accommodation during the operation and rehabilitation period, the family chose to proceed with surgery outside the country.

The operation lasted 2.5 hours. “He didn’t speak for 20 days,” says his mother. “He didn’t smile. He was afraid to walk.”

Then, just before returning home, while speaking with relatives online, he suddenly smiled.

“That’s when we became truly happy,” recalls his mother.

Today, Muhammadkhoja is recovering. After the surgery, he returned home and completed radio- and  chemotherapy courses in Uzbekistan. His treatment followed a structured international protocol.

Muhammadkhoja’s story is at the heart of a new WHO/Europe video highlighting how Uzbekistan is strengthening its childhood cancer care system – and how that system is built to support children like him.

Childhood cancer is different – and curable

The types of cancer that occur in childhood are quite different from those in adulthood. Childhood cancers are closely connected to genetic factors and, unlike many adult cancers, are not directly associated with lifestyle or environmental risk factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption or unhealthy diets.

 Childhood cancer cannot be prevented, but it can be cured.

Today, most childhood cancers are curable with early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Yet survival rates vary dramatically across the WHO European Region and globally. In well-resourced health systems, survival exceeds 80%. In other settings, where diagnosis is delayed, access to medicines is limited and health systems are unequipped for complex cancer care, survival rates can be below 30%.

The right policies and close collaboration with the international health-care community can make a great difference.

To reduce the burden of childhood cancer, countries need rapid diagnostic pathways, trained specialists in paediatric oncology, up-to-date treatment protocols, continuity of care and reliable access to quality-assured medicines.

Uzbekistan has been working to strengthen each of these pillars.

Building a system that saves lives

Uzbekistan is a focal country of the GICC, and in 2024 it joined the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.

Through partnerships between WHO, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Pan-American Health Organization and national authorities, the country is building a more robust, sustainable childhood cancer care system.

WHO/Europe has been working closely with the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan to enhance treatment protocols and align them with international standards, creating a system that works for every child.

Muhammadkhoja’s family had to travel abroad at the time of the surgery; but looking forward, the goal is to ensure that children can receive high-quality care closer to home in Uzbekistan.