Ayati Bhardwaj - Oncology

 


The Global Cancer Divide: Who Gets to Live?

A woman diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK may begin treatment within weeks. In rural parts of Africa or South Asia, that same woman might never be diagnosed at all.

Cancer is a global disease, but access to care is not. Every year, millions are denied a fair chance at survival simply because of where they live. While wealthy countries have early screening, radiotherapy, and cutting-edge drugs, many low- and middle-income nations struggle with shortages of doctors, late diagnoses, and treatments that are either unavailable or unaffordable.

This divide has deadly consequences. Childhood leukemia, for example, has an 80% survival rate in wealthy nations but can drop below 20% in poorer regions. The difference isn’t in the disease, it’s in the resources.

And the gap is widening. As high-income nations advance in personalized medicine and immunotherapy, others still lack access to basic pain relief. This isn't just a healthcare issue, it's a human rights issue.

Cancer shouldn’t be a matter of geography. Everyone deserves a fighting chance, regardless of income, nationality, or postcode. Until access to cancer care is truly global, the question will remain heartbreakingly simple: Who gets to live?

-Ayati Bhardwaj

Meet the author:

Hi, I’m Ayati, and I’m 16!! I hope to become a doctor one day. I wrote this because I believe survival shouldn’t depend on where you live or how much you earn — healthcare is a right, not a privilege.

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