According to the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the global incidence of childhood cancer is approximately 160,000 new cases per year in children below 15 years old. It also accounts for about 90,000 deaths per year in children in the same age group. Overall, childhood cancer is listed as the 4th most common cause of mortality in the United States.
In Africa, determining the overall incidence of childhood cancer can be difficult to estimate due to the lack of population-based national cancer registries. The incidence of childhood cancer (per million) under the age of 15 years old is 183.5 in Uganda, 111.2 in Zimbabwe, 100 in Malawi, 77.4 in Mali, and 71.2 in Nigeria. In Africa, the most common childhood cancers are Lymphomas as a group. In Northern Africa, lymphoma is closely followed by leukemia. In some countries such as Morocco and Tunisia, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia is typically more common than other sub-categories of lymphoma. In South Africa, Acute Lymphoid Leukemia is also the most common childhood cancer seen. Burkett Lymphoma is the most common childhood cancer found in most sub-Saharan Countries.
Despite the growing prevalence of childhood cancers and other diseases in Africa, those affected don’t always get the treatment that they need. Some of the common challenges encountered in Africa include:
- Lack of access to healthcare services
- Shortage of trained healthcare professionals
- Lack of resources and appropriate medical equipment
- Health interventions that don’t match the scale of the problem
- Poverty that drives up the burden of displacement and disease
This is where Save A Child International can help.
As a dedicated children’s charitable organization in Atlanta, Georgia, we aim to connect Africa’s children to world-class healthcare services. We aim to provide hope in an otherwise hopeless situation. With our dedication and resources, combined with your charitable donations in Georgia, we aim to bring children affected by cancer and one accompanying parent over to the United States so that they can get the appropriate treatments that they need.
Whether they need surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, stem cell transplants, bone marrow transplants, radiation therapy, or some other treatments, we are here to ensure that Africa’s children get access to the healthcare services that they need to battle cancer.
We offer programs to support children and parents affected by cancer. If you wish to support African children’s charities in Georgia, contact us today. There are many ways that you can help the fight against childhood cancer and improve the lives of Africa’s children.
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