Cancer in children needs to be detected early.
Today, stakeholders hosted an awareness campaign to help achieve this.
Around 60 children cancer cases are seen annually.
This morning’s workshop looks to encourage early diagnosis or detection.
“This is the day we look forward to. To create awareness in the public regarding child cancer. Signs and symptoms so that we can have early recognition and so that families can bring their children earlier to the health facilities for diagnosis and treatment,” said the chair of Paediatric CSN, Dr. Rigamoto Taito.
The CWM and Lautoka hospitals are the only hospitals that provide treatment.
“In the past if we look at our statistics the survival for child cancer is very low. We looking at 10%. Now we are closing on 50% for the most common cancer in children which is leukemia. So we are very encouraged with that,” revealed Dr. Taito.
However, the medical services know their limitations.
“We have raised to the second level of care which is more than many other developing countries. Treatment such as radiotherapy we can not provide in country. So those are the children we send abroad for treatment,” Dr. Taito added.
The approximate cost for treatment per child is pegged at around $30,000 in which all treatment and surgeries in Fiji is free of charge.