Four to five children on average are newly diagnosed with childhood cancer in Namibia every week, with leukaemia being the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer.
This was revealed by Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) Chief Executive Officer, Rolf Hansen, on Tuesday during the launch of the annual ‘National Spray-a-Thon’ held in honour of International Childhood Cancer Day, which is observed on 15 February every year.
International Childhood Cancer Day aims to raise awareness and understanding of issues and challenges related to childhood cancer and its impact on children and adolescents with cancer, survivors, their families, and society.
It also emphasises the need for more equitable and improved access to treatment and care for all children with cancer.
Hansen stated that there are currently 230 new childhood cancer cases per year on average, an increase from the 2017 data, which showed that there were between 180 and 200 cases per year on average between 2015 and 2017.
“Childhood cancer, like adult cancer, requires family support because it affects the entire family. We frequently see this, particularly when one child is diagnosed and the focus is so intense on that one child that the other siblings may become emotionally withdrawn, jealous, and, in teenagers, aggressive and rebellious,” he stated.
He further noted that to strengthen support for families fighting adolescent cancer, CAN establish the CHICA Interim Home for out-of-town childhood cancer patients to have safe accommodation while receiving treatment in Windhoek. CAN and its partners also extensively renovated the Ward 8 West Paediatric Oncology Ward at the Windhoek Central Hospital during 2021 at a cost of more than N. dollars 350 000.
“On this World Childhood Cancer Day, we once again advocate for the right to an early and accurate diagnosis of childhood cancers; the right to life-saving essential medicines; the right to appropriate and quality medical treatments; and the right to follow-up care, services, and sustainable livelihood opportunities for survivors,” Hansen said.
As part of the spray-a-thon, hair spraying events will take place as fundraisers across the country throughout March.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
