This campaign has now closed
Over 300,000 children worldwide develop cancer each year. In the developed world, 80% will survive. In the developing world, as few as 10% will survive. We are working hard to change this. With better access to simple & inexpensive treatment, it is possible to improve survival rates to 50%+
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
There are about 1,000 cases of childhood cancer in Mindanao in the Philippines annually - but only 30% of cases are diagnosed. Survival rates are low because many children are diagnosed late due to low awareness about childhood cancer. Worse still, about 70% of patients abandon treatment. This is usually due to the financial & logistical pressures of long-term treatment. Mindanao is economically deprived and travel to the primary hospital in Davao City is too expensive & too far for most people.
Solution
We will build the capacity of “satellite centres” around the island to diagnose & treat children – reducing the financial & travel burden for children and families - by further developing the Mindanao Paediatric Cancer Care Network (MPCCN). The Network aims to strengthen & expand referral networks for patients; build capacity of ‘home-grown teams’ in strategically chosen locations in Mindanao; and support staff costs to maintain services & improve access to care for more children on the island.