Beijing Children's Hospital, WHO and St. Jude Explore Collaboration on Childhood Cancer

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Representatives from World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters, the WHO China office and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital visited Beijing Children's Hospital on November 6, 2026. They met with President Ni Xin, Vice President Zhang Yizhuo and the hospital's clinical and research teams. Building on the previous day's dialogue on access to childhood cancer medicines, the three institutions explored opportunities for multicenter clinical trials, cancer surveillance and capacity building.

André Ilbawi, who leads WHO's cancer programme, described how the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer supports countries in strengthening care, tracking survival and improving the supply of essential medicines. WHO and St. Jude also work together through the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines.

St. Jude representatives traced their collaboration with Chinese medical institutions on multicenter studies of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. They also described work under St. Jude's East Asia Regional Program to expand multicenter trials, train health professionals and improve patient care. The Beijing team drew on studies of childhood leukemia and neuroblastoma to illustrate the hospital's clinical experience across blood cancers and solid tumors. Researchers also described their work on drug formulations suited to children and the use of tumor organoids in drug research.

Ilbawi tried the hospital's AI Pediatrician using a simulated case and noted its potential to help physicians work more efficiently in other settings as well.

WHO representatives suggested convening international discussions on childhood cancer trials and sharing China's experience in building a national childhood cancer surveillance network and database. Ni said the hospital would welcome health professionals from developing countries for further training. He also expressed the hospital's interest in expanding multicenter research and working with WHO to implement its childhood cancer medicines market shaping strategy in China.

After the meeting, the delegation visited the Beijing Pediatric Research Institute and the National Pediatric Cancer Surveillance Center. At the center, visitors learned how China established and operates its nationwide surveillance network and how the center uses surveillance data to assess the burden of childhood cancer and evaluate treatment outcomes.