Each year, an estimated 400,000 children develop cancer around the world. In many high-income countries, more than 80% survive. In many low- and middle-income countries, survival drops to less than 30%. This divide is equally stark for children facing other catastrophic illnesses, including sickle cell disease. This reality drives the global work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, grounded in the belief that every child deserves access to lifesaving care, no matter where they live.
A legacy centered on sharing knowledge
From the moment St. Jude opened its doors in 1962, partnership has been woven into its identity. The institution’s earliest breakthroughs in childhood leukemia were not confined to a single campus or country. These discoveries were shared with clinicians worldwide, helping transform pediatric cancer care far beyond Memphis, Tennessee.
As those discoveries spread, it became clear that improving outcomes for children at scale would require more than individual advances. It would require sustained cooperation and a deliberate global strategy focused on bringing together institutions, foundations, governments and global health agencies.
That strategy took a decisive step forward in 2018. During that year, St. Jude launched , was designated the first , and worked with WHO to establish the , setting an ambitious goal to help countries raise survival rates for the most common pediatric cancers to at least 60% by 2030.
From a shared vision to global action
Turning that shared vision into meaningful progress required a structure capable of coordinated action. Today, that structure is the St. Jude Global Alliance, a network of over 400 medical institutions and foundations working across more than 70 countries.
The Global Alliance concentrates on capacity building, research and education. Member institutions work together to strengthen the pediatric oncology workforce, improve diagnosis and treatment, expand access to essential medicines, support national childhood cancer control planning and advance research and data-driven collaboration across regions.
Innovation designed to reach every child
Scientific discovery remains central to the St. Jude mission, and its global work continues to ensure that progress extends beyond the laboratory. St. Jude develops and shares practical tools that help health systems strengthen care where resources may be limited.
These efforts include digital platforms for data sharing, diagnostic pathways adapted to local contexts and decision-support tools that improve the quality and consistency of care.
A future defined by shared purpose
St. Jude envisions a world where a child’s chance of survival is not determined by where they were born. Achieving that future requires sustained cooperation, coordinated strategy and investment across health systems.
From Memphis to ministries of health across the world, St. Jude is catalyzing progress and unlocking what is possible when countries, institutions and global stakeholders unite around the belief that every child deserves the chance to live, grow and thrive.
To learn more, visit stjude.org.