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Healthcare April 20, 2026 By Irfana Aslam

Childhood Cancer in Pakistan: What You Need to Know

Every year, thousands of children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer. Most families cannot afford treatment. Here is what the situation looks like — and what you can do.

Pakistan has one of the highest rates of childhood cancer in South Asia, yet access to treatment remains deeply unequal. While elite hospitals in major cities provide world-class oncology care, most families — particularly outside Karachi and Lahore — face impossible choices between food and chemotherapy.

The Most Common Childhood Cancers in Pakistan

  • Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) — the most common, with up to 80% survival rate if treated
  • Wilms Tumour (kidney)
  • Retinoblastoma (eye)
  • Brain and spinal tumours
  • Lymphoma

The Cost Barrier

A full course of chemotherapy for childhood leukaemia can cost between $800 and $3,000 in Pakistan — an impossible sum for a family living on daily wages. Many families spend their entire life savings on the first few months of treatment, then are forced to stop.

What Interrupting Treatment Means

This is perhaps the most heartbreaking part. Childhood ALL has an excellent prognosis — but only if treatment is completed without interruption. Stopping mid-treatment does not just mean the cancer returns. It often means it returns in a drug-resistant form, which is far harder to treat.

Omar, 12, responded perfectly to his first three months of chemotherapy. Then his family ran out of money. His doctors say he needs 12 more months to reach full remission. We are raising funds to make sure he gets every single session.

How PulseGivers Helps

We fund chemotherapy cycles, blood transfusions, and hospital stays for children whose families cannot afford ongoing treatment. Funds go directly to the hospital — we collect receipts and update donors personally.

Help a child complete their cancer treatment today.

View Children's Cases →
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