NGO Makes Case for Children with Cancer
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
With the rising cases of children suffering with cancer and parents having to pay from their pockets for treatment, a bingo governmental organisation has called on the federal government to include cancer treatment for children in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Referring to children’s cancer as a neglected concern, the founder of the NGO, Okapi Children Cancer Foundation, Ms. Kemi Adekanye, said the need for children to be supported in the scheme cannot be underestimated in bringing the scourge under control.
Adekanye who spoke during the foundation’s 2022 Walk of Hope for Children Fighting Cancer, said the aim of the walk is to create awareness and sensitisation towards the plight of cancer children and the need for support.
“We try to raise money, last year we raised six million, this year we are trying to do more than that.
“Children with cancer are not covered with NHIS, we are trying to see a situation whereby children are being considered. Our theme for this year is ‘Make Cancer a National Priority’. “We would like to see a situation whereby children have been considered and that they are being supported sociologically,” she said.
The president, Nigeria Cancer Society, Dr. Adamu Alhassan, noted that cancer in children is highly neglected, while lamenting that policy decisions from government and the funding towards healthcare do not cater for children.
He said cancer can be treated if detected early but there has not been so much breakthrough in terms of cancer generally not to talk about childhood cancer.
Adamu, therefore, called on policy makers to ensure more budget is given to childhood cancer.
“For instance, the childhood cancer under the cancer health fund that is currently there to provide support to children suffering cancer. So we are asking, why not include childhood cancer so that our children, who are the leaders of tomorrow will be included,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, a paediatric consultant at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwala, Dr. Uduak Offion, said cancer in children is increasing especially nephroblastoma, leukaemia and cancer of the eye.
“What I have in my own centre is nephroblastoma but in other centres they have cancer of the eye, and also cancer of the eye is currently being rampant in my centre, I have about five children with cancer of the eye. We used to have that once in a while but it’s coming up more frequently now. Another type of cancer that is common in children is leukaemia,” she said.
