By Daniel Mckenzie | Executive Director
KidzCan soaring against all odds
KidzCan Zimbabwe continues to post impressive results in a tough environment with its mandate of helping children diagnosed with cancer.
We are a Humanitarian Child-Centered Private Voluntary Organisation dedicated to increasing the survival rate of children suffering from cancer and Blood disorders in Zimbabwe.
The assistance offered to patients includes transport allowances to ensure patients do not default, admission and discharge packs, assisting in diagnostic imaging, chemotherapy drugs, payments for Laboratory and Radiological Tests, provision of Eye Prosthesis, psychosocial support and nutritional support to vulnerable children suffering from cancer. These services are also offered on an individualised basis according to need.
The last few months have seen KidzCan Zimbabwe intensify awareness programmes that are aimed at sensitising the public on the importance of early detection of childhood cancer and the subsequent treatment.
Parirenyatwa Hospital, which is the biggest referral centre in the country, houses the only paediatric oncology section that is fully supported by KidzCan through the provision of all childhood cancer related demands as alluded to earlier.
KidzCan Zimbabwe is happy to announce that recently two children went into remission having completed all their chemotherapy cycles. It is from such success stories that KidzCan continues to draw strength towards the complete eradication of a steep low survival rate of two out of every 10 against a contrast of 8 out of 10 in the developed world and already the initial phase targets to raise the survival rate to 60% by year 2030.
Zimbabwe’s plight is illustrative of how thousands of low- and middle-income countries worldwide struggle to consistently supply chemotherapy drugs for children.
On the 4th of February, KidzCan joined the world in celebrating World Cancer Day graced by World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Dr Alex Gasasira, where various speakers including survivors gave speeches.
This was followed by more celebrations on the 15th when KidzCan successfully led the country in celebrations to mark International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD), which was attended, by partners, the public, the media fraternity and survivors.
Child cancer survivor chronicled her battle with bone cancer until she was healed, and the importance of the help she got from KidzCan, a story that touched many.
KidzCan continues to lobby government through the World Health Organisation (WHO) for more support towards coming up with a strategy that should see better days for children on cancer treatment.
This should go a long way in reducing the burden.
Consequently, during the Orange Month this February, KidzCan has introduced robust cancer awareness campaigns in schools where the message on cancer has been articulated through lectures, banners and distribution of fliers.
KidzCan also sourced and donated wheelchairs to various patients who have mobility problems.
In addition, KidzCan has also roped in the media to complement these efforts by mainstreaming the issue of childhood cancer .An informed society can be better prepared to handle cancer once detected early. This is of critical importance against a background of a patriarchal society that is rooted in cultural and religious beliefs that often place value in the use of traditional herbs resulting in delays in seeking medical attention, and eventual divorce as parents blame each other due to lack of knowledge.
KidzCan continues to work on measures towards closing the gap in an environment with a constrained economic setup characterised by high inflation and little disposable income. This has seen an upsurge in the psychosocial assistance where in the past we have had to explain to parents whenever we have run out of drugs, not an easy task given that children can actually survive cancer if afforded the right attention at the right time. The impact of COVI-19 has also had a huge impact during lockdowns that has limited awareness programmes.
KidzCan Zimbabwe continues to soar in its various engagements across the country and this saw the organisation scooping an award for the Outstanding Cancer Relief Organisation of 2021 in recognition of the humanitarian work done for children with cancer around the country.
The awards are organised by the Zimbabwe Community News stable and are awarded to organisations who excel in their fields.
KidzCan has exposed the need for more effective understanding and support of childhood cancer in Zimbabwe and managed to debunk the various myths associated with cancer in children.
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