Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) Chief Executive Officer, Rolf Hansen yesterday said that five children are newly diagnosed with a form of cancer in Namibia every week.
Hansen who made the remarks on World Childhood Cancer Awareness Day in the capital stated that leukaemia is still the most commonly diagnosed childhood cancer worldwide, including in Namibia, with neuroblastoma, retinoblastoma, and brain tumours close behind.
He said psychosocial support for families affected by a childhood cancer diagnosis in their inner circle is critical, especially since cancer is typically diagnosed in adults rather than children and the relationship between the parents frequently deteriorates.
“CAN established the CHICA Interim Home for out-of-town childhood cancer patients to have safe accommodation while receiving treatment in Windhoek to strengthen further support for families fighting adolescent cancer,” he said.
The association also supports the Ward 8 West Paediatric Oncology Ward at Windhoek Central Hospital on a regular basis, he added.
Hansen emphasised the importance of early detection of childhood cancers, access to life-saving essential medicines; and the right to appropriate and high-quality medical treatment.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
