Raising awareness, early detection and treatment of childhood cancer

Bangladesh is a small but populous country of 150 million people of which 54 million are below 15 years of age. For this huge population there has been only one center in the capital that provides childhood cancer treatment which could manage only 200-250 new patients every year. All other patients used to be treated haphazardly by general physicians/paediatricians, homeopaths, traditional medical practitioners etc. People, in general, believed that there is no solution to cancer. So the primary needs were to raise public awareness the present understanding of the disease and to make appropriate treatment available to the whole country.

Main Objectives of the Project:

• To develop a national, integrated, protocol-based childhood cancer care program
• To raise awareness among governmental policy makers, health care providers, the media and the public in general about childhood cancer
• To improve both early and correct diagnosis
• To reduce the cost of treatment by making it available on the "doorstep"
• To help the establishment of a paediatric haematology and oncology unit in all government medical college hospitals
• To provide training to "concerned" doctors working in hospitals
• To provide term training to general medical practitioners about early signs and symptoms of childhood cancer and how to administer chemotherapy in day clinics, non-specialist wards or in private practice
• To give long term training to nurses about the management of childhood cancer, particularly about chemotherapy, prevention of infection and maintenance of personal hygiene
• To train social workers particularly about counselling of the parents and how to "break the bad news"
• To train laboratory technicians about staining of bone marrow slides and specialise techniques
• To disseminate a printed booklet to every patient which will contain all the necessary advice about the disease and include a treatment diary to monitor therapy throughout the treatment period
• To encourage interested stakeholders to form a "childhood cancer society" so that they can work as a pressure group to help meet the demands of caring for these children

Benefits of the Project:

• Now Govt. has established paediatric haematology and oncology center in other eight medical college hospitals
• As a result, yearly 1500-2000 more children are getting better treatment. The number of patients completing a treatment schedule and patients compliance has dramatically improved
• Patient's families have direct financial benefit as they can avoid travel to the capital and long stays away from home
• So far we have trained 391 doctors, nurses, 10 laboratory technicians and 8 social workers

Location