New York, September 25, 2025 – The Europe Today: A special session titled “Global Movement to Improve Survival and Reduce Suffering for Children with Cancer and Other Catastrophic Diseases” was convened in New York on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The event, jointly organized by the Republic of Uzbekistan and the World Health Organization (WHO), was attended by Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, together with her daughters Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva.
First Lady of Uzbekistan Ziroatkhon Mirziyoyeva, one of the organizers of the initiative, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered keynote remarks, underscoring the global importance of addressing childhood cancer and other severe diseases. Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdoğan and other participants also shared perspectives on the need for urgent and coordinated international action.
The primary objective of the session was to draw the international community’s attention to the severity of the issue and its growing urgency. According to global health statistics, approximately 200,000 children are diagnosed with cancer annually, with nearly half losing their lives to the disease.
The event concluded with panel discussions focused on strategies to improve survival rates, expand access to treatment, and alleviate the suffering of affected children and their families worldwide.
