An Estimated 55% of Children Diagnosed With Cancer in SA Survive
South Africa has some of the lowest survival rates when it comes to childhood cancers. Each year, more than 300 000 children aged between birth and 19 years are diagnosed with cancer around the world. Approximately eight in 10 of these children live in low and middle-income countries where their survival rate is often near 20%. This is in stark contrast to high-income countries, where cure rates exceed 80% for many common childhood cancers. In South Africa, we should be diagnosing around 2 500 children per annum but unfortunately are only diagnosing approximately 1 500… Of the less than half who are actually detected and diagnosed, this survival rate is as low as 55%. This means that in South Africa every year, less than half of the children who are diagnosed will survive.
In September 2018, at the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced its new global initiative to address the disparity between childhood cancer survival in low-middle versus high-income countries.
The 15th of February 2019 is International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD). This global initiative is celebrated around the world and CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC) is committed to working with its international partners, including the WHO, Childhood Cancer International (CCI) and others, towards the global goal of reducing childhood cancer mortality and the elimination of cancer-related pain and suffering.
On International Childhood Cancer Day, CHOC calls on all South Africans to stand united to make childhood cancer a national and global child health priority in support of the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Target Goals.
CHOC, through its training and awareness programme, aims to improve survival rates by creating awareness of the early warning signs of childhood cancer developed by CHOC and The South African Children’s Cancer Study Group (SACCSG). This is done by training health professionals and traditional health practitioners and by creating general awareness amongst the public.
“As we celebrate our 40 years of existence this year, we want to continue growing our impact as an organisation and we continue to rely heavily on individual and corporate support and participation. As the only organisation in South Africa that provides nationwide comprehensive support to children and teenagers with cancer, life-threatening blood disorders and their families, we strive to increase our reach every year,” said Carl Queiros, CEO of CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA.
CHOC encourages corporates, schools and individuals to “Have a heart for children living with cancer” by going blue on Friday, 15th February 2019. Participants can purchase and wear an ICCD badge, heart pin or bracelet to spread the message and support the campaign by purchasing chocolate slabs to spoil loved ones for Valentine’s Day. Participants of the campaign, who place a minimum order of R1 000, will be put into a lucky draw to win a R5 000 voucher donated by PNA Stationers. The lucky draw will take place on 1 March 2019.