Turkish first lady calls for global action to protect children from cancer
NEW YORK
Emine Erdoğan, Türkiye’s first lady and chair of the U.N. High-Level Advisory Board on Zero Waste, called for urgent global action to protect children from cancer and its devastating effects, particularly in conflict zones, during an event at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
Speaking during the side event at the 4th High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseasese, Erdoğan highlighted the Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer, which aims to raise the worldwide survival rate for childhood cancer to at least 60 percent by 2030.
“Türkiye is proud to be among the countries supporting this project,” she said.
Erdoğan stressed the disproportionate impact on children in different parts of the world.
While survival rates reach around 80 percent in high-income countries, they drop to as low as 5 percent in low-income nations and even lower in conflict zones.
“Every child deserves equal hope for life,” Erdoğan pointed out.
She also noted Türkiye’s progress in pediatric oncology, with rising survival rates for leukemia, lymphomas and nervous system tumors, emphasizing the need for these outcomes to be accessible to all children.
In a seamless transition to environmental concerns, Erdoğan also made a speech at the opening of the “Zero Waste Blue—Drop by Drop” exhibition in New York.
“Unfortunately, we are in a very dark period where water can be used as a tool of genocide. Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has targeted Gaza’s water infrastructure in its attacks. 85 percent of pipelines, treatment plants, wells and related systems are unusable,” Erdoğan said.
The exhibition, organized under Erdoğan’s patronage by Türkiye’s Environment Ministry, showcased visual and digital works highlighting the importance of water and promoted Türkiye’s Zero Waste Blue initiative, which has removed 285,000 tons of marine litter from its coasts.
Erdoğan highlighted progress since Türkiye launched the Zero Waste initiative in 2017, including the U.N.’s declaration of March 30 as International Zero Waste Day.
“Fortunately, Zero Waste is now a global movement,” she said.
