Children under five bear the heaviest cancer burden — and South Africa's survival rate is half that of wealthy nations
New cancer diagnoses by age group (ages 0–19), South Africa, 2021; age-standardised rate 63.5 per million
~52%
childhood cancer survival rate,
South African public sector
1 378
total new cases diagnosed,
South Africa, 2021
South Africa's childhood cancer incidence has climbed from 45.7 to 63.5 cases per million since the early 2000s, yet children here survive at roughly half the rate seen in high-income countries. The gap reflects late diagnoses, uneven access to treatment, and a registry its own authors warn still misses at least one in three cases.