The aim is to raise awareness about cancer to reduce the child mortality rate and highlight the global burden of childhood cancer.

This year’s theme “Better Survival is achievable #throughyourhands” serves as a call on governments, non-government organisations, and the private sector to work together in achieving at least a 60% survival rate in low-middle-income countries, and to reduce suffering of all children with cancer by 2030 worldwide.

According to Sonet van Zyl, regional manager for the Childhood Cancer foundation (CHOC) in the Free State and Northern Cape, they believe in the importance of spreading awareness - as childhood cancer can sometimes be misdiagnosed.

“We have found that if people know the early warning signs and a child is diagnosed in the early stages, the outcome for the child is just much better,” she says.

She added that the survival rate for childhood cancer in South Africa is 50-60%, but only 20% in the rest of Africa

In South Africa, she says, CHOC is very lucky to be working with the department in raising awareness around regarding child cancer.

“It is also very important to us to educate adults. We interact a lot with children when we are adults, and we can easily pick up something if we know the warning signs. Which is why we as CHOC plead with adults to make use of us to educate you on the early warning signs,” she says.

She says the most common type of childhood cancer in most countries is Leukaemia.

Furthermore, the National Department of Health mentioned in a statement that although children`s cancers are not always treated like adult cancer, they are highly curable with higher survival rates in high-income countries, while the situation is different in low-middle-income countries.

Van Zyl further added that when a child is diagnosed the doctors will immediately make contact with CHOC.

“All our services at CHOC are free. We do not charge people for our services. Our services include providing accommodation,” she said.

She also added that children in the Free State and Northern Cape are not always close to the treatment centres. CHOC also assists with transport and various benefits to make things easier for the child and their parents.

OFM News