September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM) is again urging the government to provide free cancer treatment for children under seven.
Currently, school-going children aged seven and above, registered under the Education Ministry, receive fully subsidised cancer treatment at government hospitals. Those below schooling age, however, must bear the full cost.
NCSM managing director Dr M. Murallitharan, who has campaigned for this change since 2019, said about 2,000 families are affected each year – a number small enough not to burden government resources.
“NCSM has been lobbying for years as healthcare is a fundamental right,” he said. “Abolishing fees for children under seven would ease crippling financial strain on families and improve survival outcomes.”
The Malaysia National Cancer Registry recorded 4,303 childhood cancer cases between 2012 and 2016, with the highest incidence in the 0–4 age group.
Survival data shows the urgency for reform. In high-income countries, childhood cancer survival reaches 80 per cent, compared with 15 to 45 per cent in low- and middle-income nations. In Malaysia, survival rates for leukaemia and lymphoma among children aged 0–4 are around 69 and 66 per cent, respectively.
“This is a glaring gap in our healthcare system,” said Dr Murallitharan. “Children under seven are not in school, so they fall outside the Education Ministry’s coverage. Parents are forced to pay for life-saving treatment at a time when they are already struggling financially and emotionally. It is not right to make access dependent on age.”
He added that besides medical costs, families must also cover travel, accommodation, nutrition, and psychological support.
“Many parents, especially from lower- and middle-income groups, give up their jobs to care for their child. This is not sustainable,” he said. “We are calling on the government to act now. No child should be denied treatment because of age or income. Equal access is vital if we are to give Malaysia’s children the best chance at life.”
Separately, Dr Murallitharan thanked Roche Malaysia, whose employees across its Pharmaceuticals, Diagnostics and Services and Solutions (RSS APAC) divisions raised RM111,800 through fundraising to support survivors from NCSM’s Children’s Home of Hope (CHH).
NCSM operates three CHHs – in Penang, Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur – located near government hospitals. The homes provide free accommodation, meals, and psychosocial support to paediatric cancer patients during treatment, while also offering caregivers and siblings a safe, supportive space to stay close to their loved ones.
