Childhood Cancer: Foundation, Lions Club Decry Nigeria’s 30% Survival Rate

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Dorcas Cancer Foundation (TDCF) and the Lagos Doyen Lions Club have lamented over the 30 per cent survival rate of children living with cancer in the country.
Indeed, they stated that in other developed climes, the survival rate is about 80 to 90 per cent, stating the need for economic managers to invest in awareness creation in its bid to reduce the scourge of cancer in Nigeria.

Speaking on the sidelines of a courtesy visit and donation of care kits to children living with cancer at the Pediatric oncology ward, Alima Atta, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) yesterday, the Founder, TDCF, Dr. Adedayo Joseph, said the event is joining the rest of the world to celebrate childhood cancer day, but stated that the day is not a day of celebration, but a day of reflection.

She, however called on the federal government and key stakeholders in the nation’s health sector to think outside of the box on how to eradicate cancer.
“It is not a day of celebration, but a day of reflection. It is a day we should all think of what we can do to help children with cancer in Nigeria and Africa at large,” she said.

According to her, the survival rate for childhood cancer in highly advanced and informed countries is about 80 to 90 per cent, but lamented that Nigeria is far from achieving those numbers.
“It is important for us to settle down and find a way to solve that problem. We have been talking for a long time, it is time for action. The action has to be reliable and feasible,” she urged.

Also speaking, the second Vice District Governor, District 404 A3, Lions Club, Mary Onu, said the District is using the visit to reaffirm its commitment to showing love and affection for children living with cancer.
“Today is childhood cancer day worldwide and we have decided to play our own part by coming to this ward Alim Atta in LUTH to share time with the children and give consumables which are medical supplies to support their treatment. We also gave care kits to those families that are caring for them,” she said.

In her words, “The budget for today’s event was N945,000. We were not able to hit that target exactly, but we did go a long way. It is a partnership between the Lagos Doyen Lions Club as well and the Dorcas Foundation. We come here annually to support. September is awareness for childhood cancer because most folks do not believe that Cancer is prevalent in children. We are still ignorant and this hinders us from catching the signs early enough.”
On his part, the president, Lagos Doyen Lions Club, said the Club is a service organisation and childhood cancer with objectives aimed at eradicating childhood cancer, providing disaster relief items, combating hunger, blindness and youth empowerment.

“We are partnering with Dorcas Foundation to see the children and donate some items to show our support. The items donated are essential consumables and you know cancer is very expensive. What we can do for some of them is limitless so anything we can do for these children would go a long way,” he said.

The Chairman, Child Survival and Development Organisation of Nigeria, Onari Duke, said the organisation is set out to reduce the maternal and child mortality rate in the country.

On the survival rate of children living with cancer, she said, “So far, I will not say it is reducing significantly, but giant strides have been made towards the reduction because there is more awareness and with the awareness it is just a matter of time that we would begin to see the traction we are looking for.”

She said what is key is early diagnosis and the urgent need to take the awareness information to the communities especially the rural communities to reduce the prevalence of cancer in the country

“We must increase awareness and early detection because the survival rate in the country has remained low. Cancer in children is highly treatable so it is sad to see a child die that would have survived if only we detected it early. We will begin to work with other stakeholders to bring down the current rate.

The current survival rate is about 30 per cent which is still very low,” she bemoaned.