The eight countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) reported an estimated 37,716 new childhood cancer diagnoses and 17,698 deaths among children aged 0–14 years in 2022, according to a population-based analysis of GLOBOCAN 2022 data published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia. The findings highlight substantial regional differences in childhood cancer incidence, mortality, and outcomes despite South Asia being home to nearly 600 million children, representing approximately one-quarter of the global pediatric population.
India accounted for the largest share of the regional burden, contributing 25,939 cases (68.8%), followed by Pakistan with 7,841 cases (20.8%). However, age-standardized incidence rates varied considerably across countries, ranging from 10.4 per 100,000 in Sri Lanka and 10.1 per 100,000 in Pakistan to 2.3 per 100,000 in…
