Call to raise awareness to combat childhood cancer
Although 80 percent of childhood cancer cases get cured in developed countries, the figure for Bangladesh is only 10 to 20 percent due to lack of awareness and early intervention, experts said yesterday.
Around 1,60,000 children are diagnosed with cancer globally a year and 90,000 of them die. The number of newly diagnosed childhood cancer patients in the country a year is estimated at 5,400 to 9,450, said Prof Afiqul Islam, chairman of the department of Paediatirc Hematology and Oncology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
At a meet the press programme, he explained various types of childhood cancer, need for early diagnosis and its treatment.
Sanofi-aventis Bangladesh organised the programme at its Conference Hall at Segun Bagicha in the city. Sanofi-aventis along with the International Union Against Cancer has been running the My Child Matters programme to raise awareness since 2004.
It has been providing financial assistance to the ASHIC Palliative Unit for supporting the terminally ill children and to the Paediatric Oncology department of BSMMU for capacity building of the health care providers.
"One third of the children with cancer suffer from leukemia, followed by brain tumors and lymphoma," Dr Afiqul said, adding that the manifestation of child cancer, its treatment and doctors are different than that of adult cancers.
But in Bangladesh due to poor referral system and as many primary health care providers can't understand the magnitude of the disease for poor knowledge of cancer and its symptoms, a huge number of patients receive treatment at the advanced stage, he said.
He also suggested providing short-term training for the health care providers in this regard.
He also said the drugs for treating cancer patients are also expensive and unavailable and that the government should address this issue.
Managing Director of Sanofi-aventis Iftekharul Islam said that more social research should be conducted on childhood cancer to get the right picture and make the people aware of it.
Salma Choudhury, chairperson of Ashic Foundation, was also present at the programme.
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