The Montevideo Document

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY IN LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES

THE MONTEVIDEO DOCUMENT

CONSIDERING THAT:

• When adequately treated, 60-70% of childhood cancers are currently curable;
• Today only 20% of the children throughout the world benefit from adequate "state of the art" therapy.
• Consequently 80% of the world's children, i.e. those living in Countries with limited resources, are currently denied a cure.
• Cancer represents the first disease-related cause of death among children in developed Couontries (and overall is only second to accidents). Childhood cancer mortality, which may appear irrelevant in the context of the high mortality rates from other causes, such as infection, in fact is now the 3rd or 4th cause of death among children in many of these low income Countries.
• Childhood cancer is becoming increasingly important in Countries with limited resources, due to the marked increase of children in the population as a consequence of the high birth rate and of the decreased mortality due to communicable diseases or malnutrition.
• Childhood cancer mortality could be sharply reduced by establishment of paediatric haematology-oncology programmes with centres providing free essential therapy to all children who need treatment.
• The implementation of such programmes should be considered as a step towards the application of the United Nations Convention on Children's Rights. (New York, November 29, 1989).

WE REQUEST THAT GOVERNMENTS AND INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL BODIES:

• Take into consideration the problem of paediatric oncology in Countries with limited resources.
• Undertake initiatives and allocate resources for the implementation of paediatric oncology care and research programmes.

AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE "FAMILY" OF PAEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY:

We commit ourselves, and propose to all those sharing our views:

• To foster all activities which may contribute to the mobilisation of the community at large towards programmes of international cooperation, and
• To promote the systematic implementation of Centre to Centre cooperation as a concrete contribution to the respect of the neglected rights of children.

SIOP, October, 1995