Overview:
International Childhood Cancer Day is a global campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer, and to express support for children and adolescents with cancer, the survivors and their families.
Cure rates for children are much higher than for most adult cancers. The survival rate for children's cancer has more than doubled since the 1960s. On average full recovery is now possible by 82% (more than 8 in 10 patients) in all children. For some types of children cancers, the cue rate is much higher. It is still unknown as to what causes childhood cancer and research is being done to find out more.
Objectives:
Raising awareness of the basic rights of all children with cancer, which include:
- The right to early, correct diagnosis.
- Access to basic life-saving medications.
- Access to proper treatment.
- Access to medical follow up care, services, and sustainable living opportunities for survivors.
Facts:
- Every year, more than 400,000 children and adolescents below 20, are diagnosed with cancer. The rate of survival depends on the region, with 80% survival in highest income countries.
- The Target Goal of the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative is to eliminate all pain and suffering of children fighting cancer and achieve at least 60% survival for all children diagnosed with cancer around the world by 2030. This represents an approximate doubling of the current cure rate and will save an additional one million children’s lives over the next decade.
- Improving outcomes for children with cancer requires early and accurate diagnosis followed by effective treatment.
- Most childhood cancers can be cured with generic medicines and other forms of treatments including surgery and radiotherapy
Official Date:
Globally: February 15th, 2022
Locally: Rajab 14th, 1443H
Theme:
References:
WHO