“Even today, children are sent to Paris for care.” This statement marked Sunday, February 15, 2026, as World Childhood Cancer Day, bringing renewed attention to the challenges of pediatric oncology care in the French overseas territories.
Approximately fifty children are diagnosed with cancer annually across the Antilles-Guyane region, with fifteen to twenty cases occurring in Martinique alone, according to the GIP Martinique Santé health authority. This contrasts sharply with mainland France, where around 2,300 new cases are recorded each year. While childhood cancer remains the leading cause of mortality for those under 20 in France, survival rates are high – with four out of five young patients achieving remission with appropriate treatment.
However, access to specialized care remains a significant hurdle for children in Martinique and the wider Antilles-Guyane region. The oncopediatric unit at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique (CHUM) is currently facing a shortage of physicians, frequently necessitating the transfer of patients to mainland France for treatment. This situation underscores the necessitate for improved coordination within the regional healthcare system, as highlighted by Guy-Albert Ruffin Duhamel, director of GIP Martinique Santé.
“Martinique is organizing itself,” Ruffin Duhamel stated. “Efforts are being made, particularly at the MFME (Maternité, Foetus, Nouveau-né – Maternity, Fetus, Newborn) site at the CHU de la Martinique, to provide care for these children with cancer. Collaborations are also underway with the Institut Gustave-Roussy and other establishments in the Île-de-France region. We are seeking to reduce the impact of these journeys on the children.”
The director indicated that the situation is expected to improve in the coming months as medical teams are stabilized. The University Hospital of the Antilles, with sites in Guadeloupe and Martinique, offers a PASS program – a specific access pathway to health studies – preparing students for medical, midwifery, pharmacy, dentistry, and physiotherapy programs, according to the UFR Santé (University Health Sciences Unit). However, this long-term solution does not immediately address the current physician shortage.
The broader healthcare landscape in the Antilles region includes all establishments listed in the French FINESS (Fichier National des Etablissements Sanitaires et Sociaux – National File of Health and Social Establishments) registry across Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint-Martin. Santé Publique France, the French public health agency, has also recently focused on regional health issues, including conducting surveys on suicidal tendencies and monitoring vaccination coverage in the Antilles. A recent report highlighted the ongoing monitoring of chlordécone contamination through the Kannari 2 program.
