EVEN as she was being unveiled as the Face of Childhood Cancer in Nigeria, popular artiste, Kenny Saint Brown, said she was shocked to learn that children also have cancer.
At the unveiling last week by the Children Living with Cancer Foundation, CLWCF, Brown promised to take the awareness to the door step of all Nigerians, particularly, the rich and corporate organisations.
She disclosed that she chose to identify with CLWCF in addition to being one of the judges at the singing completion.
“I want to be like energy to CLWCF. I will add a corporate image to it. I will work harder to generate adequate funds that will ensure early detection and treatment of cancer in children. In the next five years, God keeping us alive, childhood cancer would have been known in Nigeria and Africa at large.
“We will ensure that we have a treatment centre in the country. We intend to take palliative care to the next level, establish a blood donor registry to increase availability of blood and also a bone marrow registry for people willing to donate bone marrow freely.
The CLWCF holds its Annual Inter- School Singout Childhood Cancer competition this week as part of efforts to create awareness on the burden of the disease among Nigerian children.
Speaking, the Executive Director and Founder, CLWCF, Dr Nneka Nwobbi who said the Foundation caters for the welfare and medication for children battling cancer whilst providing support for their families lamented poor attention to childhood cancer in Nigeria.
She said some children brought to hospital are detained for days for just N57, 000 required for bed space.
“Today, many Nigerian children are dying in their numbers due to cancer. We lose these children also due to a number of reasons such as late presentation, poverty; treatment cost and mostly, these children are from poor homes.
“It is sad that till date Nigerians have continued to express shock each time you talk to them about childhood cancer. We have lost quite a number of these children.
On the choice of Kenny Saint Brown, she said the face of Childhood cancer was to increase awareness on the problem as well as raise adequate funds for the building of a treatment centre for children as well as raise money for their treatment and support.
On the inter-school competition at Pinefield School at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, she said focus is creating a resounding balanced singing competition programme with ultimate goal of raising funds for cancer afflicted kids and to increase the awareness level in the society.
Childhood cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death among children and adolescents.
Experts say it is difficult to know the number of children that die from cancer in Nigeria. The diagnos of childhood cancer if often kept secret because of stigma.
The most common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer, but in the teen years, there is an increase in the incidence of bone cancer.
By Chioma Obinna
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
STOP paying for airtime and electricity, Let your phone pay its bills with ScreenT
You may also like
Comrade Lemii Christian Emerges Chairman of NANNM Rivers State Branch in Historic Victory
PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA Following the long awaited National Association of N…
FG Supports Robotic Surgery Expansion to Reduce Medical Tourism
Nigeria is taking another step toward strengthening specialised healthcare …
Complete Knee Replacement Rehabilitation Package in Lagos
Knee replacement surgery is a major step toward pain relief and improved mo…
NAMDA threatens strike over unpaid medical lecturers’ allowances
The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has warned…
Resident Doctors Signal End to Strike Threat After High-Level Talks with Gbajabiamila
The threat of a nationwide indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of…
