# Cancer Emergency Appeal | World Aid Network > Source: https://worldaidnetwork.org/appeal/cancer-emergency > Poor patients in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia are turned away from cancer treatment they cannot afford. Trustees direct your gift to urgent cases. ![Cancer Emergency Appeal](/images/appeal-blood-cancer-real.webp) [All Appeals ](/appeal) CRITICALPakistan, Indonesia & Malaysia # Cancer Emergency Appeal Where the need is greatest — trustees direct your gift to save lives In short World Aid Network's Cancer Emergency Appeal funds treatment for poor patients in Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia who cannot afford care. Trustees direct every gift to the most urgent cases across all cancer programmes — £50 pays for one chemotherapy session. Donations open once the charity's UK registration completes; join the giving list to be ready to help. Last updated 18 May 2026 1.8M Deaths from lung cancer each year — the world's single biggest cancer killer 342,000 Women dying of cervical cancer annually; over 90% of deaths in low-income countries 80% vs 20% Childhood cancer survival: high-income countries vs poor families without funded care 8 Cancer types covered across all three countries 100% Trustee-directed to the most urgent cancer cases 100% Of donations fund patient treatment costs ## About this appeal Cancer does not discriminate by type. For a poor patient in a poverty-stricken country, the barrier to treatment is the same whether the diagnosis is breast cancer, prostate cancer, bowel cancer, cervical cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, a childhood cancer or a blood cancer — the cost. The Cancer Emergency Appeal exists precisely for this reality: a fund that our trustees can direct immediately to wherever the need is most acute. The scale of unmet need across our three Object countries is extraordinary. Lung cancer is the world's leading cancer killer — responsible for 1.8 million deaths annually, more than breast, prostate and bowel cancer combined — and its burden falls hardest on poor patients who cannot afford chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women: one in nine Pakistani women will be diagnosed in her lifetime, yet five-year survival rates are a fraction of UK figures because treatment is unaffordable. Cervical cancer kills over 342,000 women each year globally, with more than 90% of those deaths in low- and middle-income countries — despite being one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when caught early. The picture is equally stark for children and for less-publicised cancer types. A child with cancer in a high-income country has an 80% chance of survival with funded treatment. In a poor family in our Object countries, without funded care, that figure falls below 20%. Bowel cancer — the third most common cancer globally — is rapidly rising in all three countries as diets change, yet remains 90% survivable at Stage I with funded surgery. Liver cancer disproportionately affects Pakistan and Indonesia due to extremely high rates of chronic hepatitis B and C infection, which causes cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Prostate cancer, when caught early, has a ten-year survival rate exceeding 98% with treatment — yet for men who cannot afford hormone therapy or radiotherapy, it becomes fatal. Blood cancers — leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma — present a uniquely urgent funding challenge. Unlike solid tumours that can sometimes be removed surgically, blood cancers require prolonged chemotherapy protocols lasting months or years. Stopping a blood cancer course mid-way due to cost is more dangerous than delayed treatment: residual cancer cells develop resistance to the drugs used, producing relapse with a worse prognosis than the original diagnosis. Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) — the most common childhood blood cancer — achieves remission in over 90% of patients who complete a full funded course. Mid-course abandonment turns a curable cancer into a death sentence. The Cancer Emergency Appeal maintains continuity funding for blood cancer patients who are already in the care pathway and at critical risk of stopping treatment because the money has run out. Donations to the Cancer Emergency Appeal are unrestricted within our Objects — trustees can release funds to whichever programme faces the most critical shortfall at any given time. If a cluster of children with leukaemia urgently needs chemotherapy, funds flow there. If a waiting list for cervical cancer surgery grows critical, funds are redirected accordingly. If a cohort of women with breast cancer faces a gap mid-treatment, the appeal bridges it. This flexibility means your donation is always working at maximum urgency. All clinical care is delivered by locally-licensed and registered oncologists, surgeons and haematologists in registered hospitals — PMDC-registered in Pakistan, KKI-registered in Indonesia and MMC-registered in Malaysia. World Aid Network does not run hospitals or employ clinicians. We fund the treatment cost that stands between a patient and the care their doctor has already recommended. ## How your donation helps £10 Funds essential cancer medications for one patient for one week £25 Covers diagnostic blood tests or a cancer screening examination £50 Pays for one chemotherapy session, directed to the most urgent case £100 Funds a full diagnostic scan to confirm and stage cancer in one patient £250 Covers a full course of chemotherapy drugs, trustees direct where needed most £500 Funds cancer surgery for one patient at a partner hospital ## Latest updates 18 May 2026 ### Cancer Emergency Appeal launched World Aid Network has launched a Cancer Emergency Appeal consolidating funding across all cancer programmes. Trustees will direct donations to the most urgent cases — whether that is childhood leukaemia, breast cancer surgery, cervical cancer treatment, bowel cancer resection, lung cancer chemotherapy, liver cancer ablation, prostate cancer hormone therapy or any other form of cancer where a poor patient faces a critical funding shortfall. ## Frequently asked questions Which cancers does the Cancer Emergency Appeal cover? The appeal covers all forms of cancer within our charitable Objects: breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian and womb cancers, prostate cancer, bowel (colorectal) cancer, liver cancer (including hepatocellular carcinoma), lung cancer, childhood cancers (including leukaemia, brain tumours and neuroblastoma), blood cancers (leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma) and all other cancer types for poor patients who cannot otherwise afford care. Who decides which patients or programmes receive the funds? Our board of trustees reviews funding allocations regularly and directs unrestricted donations to the cancer programme with the most critical funding shortfall at the time of allocation. Trustees weigh verified patient waiting lists, funding gaps across programmes and the urgency of treatment timelines for patients already in the care pathway. Why give to this general appeal rather than a named cancer type? The Cancer Emergency Appeal is for donors who want their gift used wherever the need is most acute — without restriction to a single cancer type. Trustees have real-time visibility across all programmes and can deploy unrestricted funds where they will save the most lives. This flexibility is especially valuable when a programme faces a sudden surge in patients or a funding gap mid-treatment. Why is cancer survival so much lower for poor patients in these countries? Cost is the primary barrier. In the UK, NHS treatment is free at the point of use. In Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, patients pay out of pocket for chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy and diagnostic scans. For low-income families, even a single chemotherapy session can be unaffordable — leading to late presentation, treatment abandonment and preventable death. A child with leukaemia who could survive with a funded chemotherapy course, a woman with early-stage breast cancer who could be cured with surgery, a man with prostate cancer who could live for years on hormone therapy — all die because of cost, not the cancer itself. Why is blood cancer treatment continuity so critical? Blood cancers — leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma — require prolonged chemotherapy protocols that can run for months or years. Stopping treatment mid-course due to cost is clinically more dangerous than delayed treatment: residual cancer cells develop resistance to the drugs being used, leading to relapse with a significantly worse prognosis. For acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a full treatment course achieves remission in over 90% of patients — but mid-protocol abandonment driven by cost turns a curable cancer into a death sentence. The Cancer Emergency Appeal specifically prioritises continuity funding for blood cancer patients who are already in the care pathway and at risk of stopping. Why are lung and liver cancers so prevalent in these countries? Lung cancer: adult male smoking rates in Indonesia exceed 70% — among the highest in the world — and tobacco use is widespread across all three countries. Air pollution from industry and biomass cooking fuel adds further risk. Liver cancer: Pakistan carries the world's second-highest burden of chronic hepatitis C infection (8–10 million people), and Indonesia has a significant hepatitis B burden. Both viruses cause cirrhosis over decades, which is the leading risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Why is cervical cancer so deadly in these countries when it is so preventable? In the UK, NHS cervical screening and HPV vaccination programmes detect abnormal cells before they become cancer. In Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, screening programmes are limited, HPV vaccination coverage is low and cultural barriers delay gynaecological examination. Most women are diagnosed at Stage II, III or IV — when the cancer is advanced — rather than at the pre-cancerous stage when simple treatment is curative. More than 90% of the 342,000 women who die of cervical cancer each year globally are in low- and middle-income countries. Why is childhood cancer survival so much lower in these countries? In high-income countries, a full course of childhood cancer treatment costs tens of thousands of pounds and national health systems cover it. In Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia, most families pay out of pocket. For a low-income family, even a single chemotherapy session can be unaffordable, leading to treatment abandonment and preventable death. A child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who receives a full funded treatment course has an 80%+ chance of survival. Without funded care, that child is unlikely to survive. Who carries out the treatment? All clinical procedures are performed by locally-licensed and registered oncologists, surgeons and haematologists in registered hospitals — PMDC-registered in Pakistan, KKI-registered in Indonesia and MMC-registered in Malaysia. World Aid Network funds treatment costs only; we do not employ clinicians or operate hospitals. Will my donation be Gift Aid eligible? World Aid Network is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation with charity registration in progress. Gift Aid will be claimable once registration is granted — meaning UK taxpayers will be able to add 25p for every £1 donated at no cost to them. We will contact all donors once registration is confirmed. Can I donate in memory of someone who died of cancer? Yes. The Cancer Emergency Appeal accepts memorial donations for any cancer type. Please contact info@worldaidnetwork.org and we will set up a dedicated tribute page in their memory. Donations opening soon Maximising your support for the greatest possible impact Your donations empower us to deliver real help to those who need it most Funds deployed via local partner organisations Charitable Incorporated Organisation [Other appealsView all emergency appeals ](/appeal) ## Every Minute Matters In a crisis, speed saves lives. Your donation to this appeal is deployed faster than any government aid programme. [Donations opening soon](/donate)[View All Appeals](/appeal) --- World Aid Network is a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity registration in progress; application ref 5290505, ICO ref ZC156579).