Wear your golden ribbon as September is childhood cancer awareness month

Gold September is an annual campaign worldwide to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

International Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is celebrated in September each year. Gold ribbons are worn to help raise awareness worldwide.

There are many advances in paediatric oncology, yet cancer remains a leading cause of mortality in children.

According to Ina Schomper of Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (Choc), it is imperative that children are diagnosed early for effective treatment of early-stage disease, which will translate into favourable outcomes and improved overall survival.

Many factors are responsible for delays in childhood cancer, including the child’s age, family’s socio-economic status, parental educational level, distance of residence from the hospital, cancer type, site, and stage.

“Many children in low- and middle-income countries have poor access to hospitals. These hospitals in turn lack essential diagnostic tests, experience a shortage of nursing medical and surgical personnel, inadequate and erratic supply of basic pharmaceutical and chemotherapeutic agents, and an absence of radiotherapy, surgical and intensive care facilities,” said Schomper.

She added that these are but some of the factors which contribute to patients presenting with advanced disease and resultant poorer outcomes.

“As neo-natal, infant and child health improves in South Africa, communicable diseases, such as respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases, HIV/Aids, and tuberculosis, are better controlled.

“It is imperative to focus on non-communicable diseases such as childhood cancer and identify these diseases early, have access to the correct diagnostics and therapeutics and ensure the availability of supportive care to improve overall survival of our children with cancer.

“The burden of the Sars-CoV-2 is further testing our fragile African healthcare systems,” she said.

Sadly, Schomper said they experience even further delays in the diagnosis of childhood cancer.

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“Many caregivers are unemployed due to national lockdown, there are inadequate transport systems, and caregivers are afraid to venture out of the safety of their homes to seek healthcare as the ever-present danger of contracting Covid-19 lurks.

“We should endeavour to ensure children with cancer do not face further delays in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer during the global Sars-CoV-2 pandemic.

“We encourage the community to be a voice of hope this September and collaborate with healthcare workers, non-profit organisations, and the Department of Health to spread awareness of the signs for early cancer diagnosis.

“This could possibly save the life of a child or teenager,” she said.

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