On Feb 3, 2025, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued a statement calling on countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to prioritise access to essential cancer medicines. The statement noted that there are more than 4 million new cases of cancer every year in the Americas and over 1·4 million deaths. Patients do not always get the treatment they need, however. PAHO gave the example of childhood cancer. Every year, around 30 000 people younger than 19 years of age are diagnosed with cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean.