For those seeking childhood cancer care in Ghana, getting the right diagnosis and treatment at the right time can mean the difference between life and death.

Over the past three years, World Child Cancer, together with Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana, healthcare professionals, hospitals, government, and their implementing agencies have been working to change that reality.

This work has been funded by the UK government through UK Aid Match and the generosity of World Child Cancer supporters like you. This project set out to reduce preventable deaths from childhood cancer by improving diagnosis, strengthening healthcare services and ensuring children had access to vital nutrition support during treatment.

Today, we are proud to share what has been achieved.

Reaching More Children Earlier

One of the biggest challenges facing children with cancer is delayed diagnosis. The early signs of childhood cancer can often look similar to more common childhood illnesses, meaning children may not reach specialist care until their disease has progressed.

To help address this, the project trained 411 frontline healthcare workers to recognise the early warning signs and symptoms of childhood cancer and refer children for further assessment.

By helping healthcare workers recognise the warning signs of childhood cancer and strengthening referral pathways, the project has helped more children reach specialist services sooner. Over the three years of the project, 1,609 children received a confirmed cancer diagnosis and were able to begin the treatment and support they needed. Behind every number is a child and family who now had an answer, a treatment plan and a greater chance of recovery.

Helping Children Access the Care They Need

Receiving a diagnosis is only the first step in a child’s cancer journey. Families must often travel long distances for appointments, navigate complex treatment pathways and manage the emotional and financial pressures that come with treatment.

Throughout the project, World Child Cancer worked alongside hospitals, healthcare professionals and families to make childhood cancer care more accessible and supportive. More than 3,100 children benefited from services including specialist treatment, nutrition support, psychosocial care, help with transport costs and support to access essential diagnostic tests.

By reducing some of the practical barriers that prevent families from continuing treatment, the project helped more children stay on their treatment journey and access the care they needed.

Strengthening Better Nutrition Support for Children with Cancer

Good nutrition is a vital part of childhood cancer treatment. Children who are well nourished are often better able to tolerate treatment, recover from infections and continue their care without interruption.

Throughout the project, World Child Cancer worked alongside the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, dietitians, nutrition specialists and healthcare professionals across the country to strengthen nutrition support for children with cancer.

Together, these partners developed and validated Ghana’s first National Nutrition Guidelines for childhood cancer care. The guidelines provide healthcare professionals with a consistent, evidence-based approach to identifying children at risk of malnutrition, assessing their nutritional needs and providing appropriate support throughout treatment.

Importantly, the guidelines have been validated and are now owned and led by Ghana’s health system. Developed through a nationally led process and formally validated by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, they provide a sustainable framework that can continue improving care for children long after the project has ended.

For children and families, this means that nutrition is increasingly being recognised as an essential part of cancer treatment. For Ghana, it represents an important step towards ensuring every child with cancer has access to the nutritional support they need to give treatment the best possible chance of success.

Creating Lasting Change Through National Leadership

One of the project’s most significant achievements has been supporting the development and validation of Ghana’s National Childhood Cancer Treatment Guidelines.

Developed through a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, hospitals, clinicians and national and international childhood cancer experts, the guidelines provide a shared framework for recognising, diagnosing and treating childhood cancer across the country. The guidelines were formally validated and rolled out across the country in January 2026 and are now being integrated into the national health system.

The first phase of implementation reached 59 healthcare professionals from 23 facilities across Ghana. Encouragingly, 91% demonstrated improved knowledge following guideline training, helping ensure that more children can benefit from consistent, evidence-based care regardless of where they first access services.

Before this work, approaches could vary between facilities and healthcare workers. The new guidelines help ensure that children receive more consistent, high-quality care regardless of where they first enter the health system, while also strengthening referral pathways between facilities.

The guidelines were developed through a collaborative process involving the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Childhood Cancer Society of Ghana, clinicians, hospitals and childhood cancer experts. Today, responsibility for dissemination, training and future development sits within Ghana’s health system and is nationally owned, helping to ensure the work continues to evolve and strengthen childhood cancer care long after the project has ended.

The long-term impact could be significant. As more healthcare professionals are trained and use the guidelines in their daily practice, more children can be identified earlier, referred more quickly and receive appropriate treatment sooner. In doing so, the project has helped lay the foundations for stronger childhood cancer care across Ghana for future generations.

A Foundation for the Future

The progress achieved through this project belongs to the healthcare workers, hospitals, government partners, children and families who have worked tirelessly to improve childhood cancer care in Ghana.

It has also been made possible by the generosity of World Child Cancer supporters and the support of the UK government through UK Aid Match.

Together, we have helped more children receive an earlier diagnosis, access treatment, benefit from psychosocial and nutrition support and receive care closer to home. At the same time, we have helped strengthen the health systems, partnerships and national leadership needed to sustain this progress long into the future.

While challenges remain, Ghana now has stronger foundations in place to support children with cancer and their families. The impact of this project will continue to be felt long after its completion, helping more children access the care they need and the opportunity to survive and thrive.