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WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the first and only World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer. WHO first designated St. Jude its Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer in 2018 and redesignated it in 2022 and 2026.

Building on St. Jude’s collaborative work with WHO to advance childhood cancer care and control globally since 2016, St. Jude was designated by the Director-General as WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer in 2018, with Dr. Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo and Dr. Catherine Lam as founding Directors.

As the WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer, St. Jude supports the work of the World Health Organization across three areas initially and extended to four areas as of 2026.

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Scope of Work 2018-2022; 2022-2026

1

Support WHO in including childhood cancer in national cancer control plans through tools for prioritization, costing and framework for monitoring and evaluation.

2

Support WHO in developing tools and platforms for innovation including diffusion in childhood cancer management, research and education.

3

Support WHO in strengthening childhood cancer control through technical support, training materials and stakeholder engagement.

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Scope of work 2026-2030

1

Integrating children in national cancer control planning and policies, implementation and monitoring.

2

Systems strengthening, innovation and leadership in childhood cancer, research and education.

3

3. Strengthening quality, people-centered health systems and embedded participatory science.

4

Advancing agenda, advocacy and strategic leadership in childhood catastrophic diseases and palliative care.

Following the March 2018 designation as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer, St. Jude mobilized additional resources to work with WHO and global partners to support progress for children with cancer around the world. This included the launch of the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2018, and the ensuing support of the implementation of its CureAll approach to achieve at least a 60% survival rate for children with six of the most common kinds of cancer by 2030. Among more than 180 active Collaborating Centres in the Americas, St. Jude has been recognized as one of nine WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centres specified in the milestone timeline PAHO released for its 120th anniversary in 2022. Based on popular vote, St. Jude was also selected as one of only three WHO/PAHO Collaborating Centres to present live on the collaborative work in the most recent Regional Collaborating Centre webinar in September 2025.

Learn more about St. Jude Global

Find out more

St. Jude named the World Health Organization’s first Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer
St. Jude works to increase the visibility of childhood cancer and catastrophic diseases in the global health agenda as the WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer.
Pan American Health Organization
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is the world’s oldest international public health agency, with more than 12 decades of work promoting health and wellbeing throughout the region of the Americas.
Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines
In December 2021, St. Jude and WHO announced the creation of the Global Platform for Access to Childhood Cancer Medicines. This platform will provide children with cancer with an uninterrupted supply of quality cancer medicines.
Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer
St. Jude is collaborating with the WHO and global partners to transform pediatric cancer care worldwide.

Contact us

The St. Jude Global Health Systems Unit acts as the coordinating unit for the WHO Collaborating Centre for Childhood Cancer. For more information, contact healthsystems@stjude.org or visit St. Jude Global at global.stjude.org.