The City of Johannesburg Health Department is joining the world in commemorating Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, symbolized by wearing a gold ribbon.
Founded in 2010, by President Barack Obama, this annual international awareness month is aimed at raising support, funds and awareness of childhood cancers, as well as the impact for sufferers and families of sufferers of childhood cancer.
“Access to healthcare is a constitutional right. It is for this reason that I believe we should put more effort in improving diagnosis, access to best treatment and care, as well as quality support for children with cancer and their families”, said the MMC for Health and Social Development, Cllr Mpho Phalatse.
According to the Child Cancer Association, 80% of all child cancer cases, globally, occur in low and middle income countries and survival rates are as low as 10% in low income countries compared to 80% in high income countries. This proves that there are gross inequities in healthcare that continue to persist between and within the countries of the world.
Currently, between 800 to a 1 000 South African children are diagnosed with cancer annually. However, it’s estimated that half of the children with cancer in South Africa, are misdiagnosed or never diagnosed. Many children with cancer never get to a specialist hospital to receive care, treatment or pain relief. This is as a result of families having to spend long periods of time away from home and travelling great distances to hospital; continually being pushed further into poverty due to loss of income.
Other factors contributing towards low survival rates include a lack of awareness and understanding of childhood cancer and the inability of local healthcare workers to spot early warning signs and symptoms, the treatment cost, which many families cannot afford- particularly those who are not on medical insurance.
“I believe that no children should be left to die of cancer when they could be cured with some of the relatively simple and affordable treatments, no matter where they were born or what their social status is”, added Phalatse.
Child cancer is highly curable with survival rates of around 80% in developed countries.
The awareness month, highlights some forms of cancers that are mainly or exclusively seen in children. The top five cancers affecting children include cancer of the blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow (leukemia), accounting for about 34% of all cancers in children. Leukemia typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 4 and is more common in males.
Brain tumors make up about 27% of childhood cancers, followed by neuroblastoma, a type of cancer that arises from immature nerve cells in infants and young children. It is primarily found in children younger than five and is most common in males than females.
Another form of cancer is Wilms Tumor, which starts in the kidneys and is typically found in children 3 to 4 years old. The Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma affect lymph nodes and other lymph tissues, like the tonsils or thymus.
The psychological effects of childhood cancer are devastating to families and friends of a child diagnosed with cancer. The stress load becomes overwhelming to parents, due to constant decisions they have to make on treatment regimens, time off work in order to care for the child, the anguish of trying to explain to a child about what is happening to them and worst of all, the fear of losing a child to cancer.
At a time when young children with cancer should be focusing on school and socializing, their focus is directed towards medication, operations, and what life they have left, in turn, hampering their growth and development.
Children can be more resilient to cancer and cancer treatments than adults, and there are many cases of triumph and complete recovery. But awareness, education and support are vital, which is why Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is also vital. “There is hope. I challenge all members of the community to go out and make a difference by donating as little as R20 and receive a gold ribbon to support a child with cancer”, said Phalatse.
Ribbons can be purchased from Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC), Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and Pick n Pay.
Cllr Mpho Phalatse
MMC for Health and Social Development
City of Joburg
For media queries:
Lesego Mathibela
Stakeholder Manager
Office of the MMC – Health and Social Development
Tel: (011) 4076725
Mobile: 061 497 8286
E-mail: LesegoMat@joburg.org.za
Or
Dominic Mahlangu (Strategic Advisor)
Office of the MMC – Health and Social Development
Tel: (011) 407 6832
Mobile: 081 230 3299
Email: DominicM@joburg
