A not-for-profit organisation Patela Care Foundation (PCF) has donated items at the Paediatric Oncology Wards of the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.
The donation was in commemoration of the 2022 International childhood cancer day.
PCF joins the global collaborative campaign in promoting childhood cancer awareness, advocacy and expressing support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.
Some of the donated items include chemotherapy drugs, pharmaceutical items and love gifts.
The PCF was received by the Head of Pediatric Oncology unit and President of Nigerian Society of Pediatric Oncology, Prof Biobele Brown, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Clinical Nursing, Mrs Popoola ADN Oki, Dr Adeniyi, Dr Adigun; Paediatric Oncology Senior Registrars and some members of the team of Paediatric Oncology Unit, UCH.
The Executive Director PCF, Dr Foluke Sarimiye, who is a consultant radiation and clinical oncologist, said scientific data shows more than 400,000 children and adolescents below 20-years are diagnosed with cancer every year.
The rate of survival, she said, depends on the region, with 80 per cent survival in most high income countries but as low as 20 per cent in low and middle income countries such as Nigeria.
She said this disparity is as a result of several factors such as low community awareness, cultural belief, poor knowledge about early basic childhood cancer signs and symptoms, financial constraints, lack of appropriate diagnostic tools and access to specialist care especially in rural settings.
She reiterated that commemoration of International Childhood Cancer Day started by Childhood Cancer International (CCI) in 2002, now in collaboration with International Society for Pediatrics Oncology (SIOP), WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) and all Paediatric Oncology Communities is an international, collaborative awareness campaign dedicated to spotlighting the critical need for heightened commitment in the fight against childhood cancer.
She called for greater awareness, advocacy and provision of psycho social support for the children who are battling cancer and their family caregivers.
This commemoration, according to her, is an avenue to honor the gallant heroes who fought a good fight.
She added it is also a means to remind policy markers and researchers that childhood cancer deserves same attention and commitment that adult cancers currently receive.