Ghana joins the world to to observe World Childhood Cancers Day.(Mirror)

Sat. February 19, 2010


THE world has recognised the threat of childhood cancers and has therefore, dedicated February 15, every year as the International Childhood Cancer Day.
The importance of the day is to: Educate the general public about childhood cancer; to raise money through fund-raising events for childhood cancer needs world-wide and in each country, and also promote the work of local parent organisations.
To mark the day in Ghana, the Ghana Parents’ Association for Childhood Cancers (GHAPACC) in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), organised a press briefing last Monday, February 15, 2010. As part of the event, the association has plans to organise a a sponsored walk scheduled for Saturday, February 20, 2010 and also raise funds in support of childhood cancer activities globally and also in the country.
At the press briefing in Accra, a consultant at the Paediatric Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Dr Lorna Awo Renner, said about 1,200 children below age 15 were presumed to be affected with childhood cancers in Ghana yearly.
That she said, accounted for about 17 per cent of deaths, the highest percentage at the Korle Bu Teaching (KBTH).
Dr Rennner pointed out only 150 of these cases were seen yearly by the largest cancer centre in the country which is located at the KBTH.
Speaking at the press conference, the Head of Cancer Unit of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Kofi Nyarko, said though the service was working hard to deal with the issue of child cancer, treatment of the disease was relatively high due to inadequate funding.
He called on the government to examine the alarming figures resulting from childhood cancers and to respond by including them in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for their effective treatment.
For his part, the Chairman of the Ghana Parents Association for Childhood Cancers (GPACC), Mr Felix Kwame Aveh, said the association was organised to contribute to promoting the needs of children with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders.
He explained that the association aimed at providing support for children diagnosed with cancer diseases, providing information and logistics for practical use for parents, as well as organising support groups to assist children and their families to cope with the stress that the diagnosis brought about.
Additional information provided earlier by Dr Renner indicated that about 250,000 children get cancer in the world each year.
She noted that in Ghana, there was no comprehensive epidemiological data on the magnitude of childhood cancers but using estimates from incidence data in more developed countries, about 1 in 500 children will be affected.
“ With our population of over 20 million, we would expect about 1,200 children below 15 years of age to be affected yearly”, she indicated.
Unfortunately , in Ghana there are only two centres with paediatric cancer units where children with cancers could be treated and these are the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi.
According to Dr Renner, documented evidence showed that there was a change in the types of cancers most frequently seen adding that in the 1990’s, lymphomas accounted for 67 per cent followed by eye cancer (retinoblastoma) which accounted for eight per cent, leukaemia eight per cent, and kidney cancer seven per cent. She pointed out that current data shows that only 37 per cent of cases were lymphomas now adding that leukaemia cases have doubled to 18 per cent, then eye cancers 12 per cent, kidney cancers eight per cent and other previously rarer cancers were now being diagnosed more frequently. The reasons for this changing pattern, are therefore yet to be determined by medical experts.
Information provided by Dr Renner pointed out that very little was known about the cause of most childhood cancers adding that many types had highest incidence at an early age suggesting causative factors operated before birth.
Among the rare factors are environmental which comes as a result of radiation; infections - viruses for example E-B virus; Hepatitis B virus and HIV.
Others are genetic factors indicating that less than five per cent of childhood cancers could be attributed directly to genetic factors, for example there is a hereditary form of eye cancer.
To detect cancers in children, the following symptoms are useful for public awareness about early presentation of childhood cancer. And these are: S – seek help for persistent symptoms; I – eye signs, white spot, squint, blindness, bulging eye; L – lumps in abdomen, head, neck, glands; U – unexplained fever, weight loss, bleeding, pallor, fatigue; A – aches in bones, back, fractures; N – neurological change in balance, gait, behaviour, headache.
The general lack of awareness about childhood cancer is compounded by adverse socio-cultural practices and limited access to services, with few health workers trained in paediatric cancer management. Other limitations include inadequate diagnostic services, unavailability of and unaffordable costs of chemotherapeutic agents, limited access to suitable protocols and inadequate supportive care.
To address this issue of childhood cancer before we are overtaken by it as a nation, Dr Renner advised that it was important to: Raise public awareness to the early signs and symptoms; invest in capacity building of health workers for early detection and referral; set up treatment centres in all regions with the capacity to provide rapid diagnosis and treatment including adequate supportive care; develop appropriate national treatment protocols bearing in mind the limited resources.
She also appealed that the country should ensure that children’s cancer care was fully included in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS); advocate strongly for resources for cancer control programmes that included prevention, early detection and care including palliative care; among other things.