Casa de la Amistad para Niños con Cancer I.A.P

Casa de la Amistad Fundamental goal is to Increase the childhood cancer survival rate in Mexico by providing Access to oncological treatment, support to low-income children and youth. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death among children and adolescents (ages 5 to 14 years) in Mexico. Casa de la Amistad faced the problematic through four core programs: 1) Early detection; 2) Access to comprehensive care; 3) Educational for medical communities and 4) Treatment completion. 1) Early Detection program seeks to obtain early and accurate diagnosis through strategic alliances and social awareness campaigns. Currently working in training personnel on the early symptoms, enabling them to immediately identify and refer potential children at risk. It has also developed specific educational materials on the disease to increase social awareness and disseminate information on childhood cancers warning signs. 2) Access to comprehensive care provides access to oncological medications chemotherapy, procedures not granted by the government; including laboratory, ultrasounds, different types of scans, imaging test, radiotherapy. And support medicine that the children need when they have low immunological defenses. Has a distribution network, shipping medication and supplies to 31 hospitals in 20 states, delivering medications to the hospitals closest to patients. 3) Educational for medical communities: Working along St. Jude´s Children´s Research Hospital to train Mexico´s oncologist on the latest childhood cancer pathologies technologies and protocols. 4) Treatment Completion: Ensure that patients and families have the social support required to complete treatment, these services include: “home-away-from-home” that provides three daily nutritionally home-cooked meals and a box lunch, 48 private bedrooms, an accredited in-house –school so children remain on track with their studies, psychosocial support, recreational activities and spaces (workshops and playgrounds), transportation to and from place of origin and to all hospital medical visits. All these services are provided free-of-cost. These social services exist to eradicate the indirect and direct cost of treatment (lodging, food, and transport) and mostly to decrease abandonment rates.