Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi. Picture: Department of Health
Emotional distress and anxiety, financial pressures from lost income and medical costs; the challenges of travelling long distances for treatment, struggling to balance caregiving responsibilities among siblings, and social stigma associated with childhood cancer are some of the challenges that families of childhood cancer patients face.
This was highlighted by Professor Gita Naidu, chairperson of the South African Association of Paediatric Haematology Oncology (SAAPHO). He is also the head of Paediatric Oncology at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
International Childhood Cancer Day is commemorated on February 15, annually, it raises awareness and unites organisations, healthcare professionals, and advocates to ensure early diagnosis, quality treatment, and unwavering support for young cancer patients and their families.
The 2025 campaign, titled “Equal Access to Care for All Children with Cancer”, is aimed at promoting effective solutions, showcasing impactful community initiatives, and fostering transformative change to significantly improve childhood cancer outcomes on a global scale.
The 2025 theme, “Inspiring Action”, emphasises the necessity of collective efforts to eliminate disparities and ensure that all children have access to the care they deserve.
The childhood cancer awareness initiative is spearheaded by Childhood Cancer International (CCI) and aims to highlight the vital need for improved access to treatment, care, and support for children and teenagers impacted by cancer worldwide.
Ramodise Tsolo, a parent whose teenage son was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) cancer, said this was the most difficult time for his family, and they were in shock following the diagnosis.
“At first we thought our son had tonsils that wouldn’t go away. After some tests, the ear, nose, and throat specialist told us that it was cancer and referred us to an oncologist,” Tsolo said.
He added that the biggest mistake they made was to Google information about cancer because everything that popped up was telling them that their son was as good as dead — which caused them a lot of pain.
He advised other parents whose children have been diagnosed with cancer to listen to the doctors, even though it’s not easy when doctors tell you that “in this kind of treatment there is a 50/50% survival chance.”
They were also given indemnity forms to sign, that they would not sue the hospital should anything go wrong — or should “our” son die while being treated.
“The hospital arranged psychologists to give us counselling. They also brought in people who had gone through the cancer journey and survived. And they showed us the before and after pictures. The doctors always told us what to expect with each treatment,” he said.
His son’s recovery journey took two years and they had to be there for him for each consultation and treatment. “He was diagnosed and then admitted to hospital for a month. After that, he would go to the doctor’s room every two weeks.
“At some point, the chemotherapy gave him a heart infection, causing blood to leak into the lungs. He had to be induced into a coma and was on full life support. Doctors were considering doing a heart operation, however, his blood levels were too low for any operation to be done. They did a platelet transfusion. After a month, the heart infection subsided and he could breathe on his own,” Tsolo said.
His advantage was that they had medical aid with unlimited cancer coverage, however, at some point, “we had to write a motivation for our son to continue being treated after costs ran into millions”.
“After being in a coma, my son could not walk or do anything. He had to go through physiotherapy. The solution suggested after he started walking again, was a bone marrow transplant. He went through radiation to kill the cancer and then they started looking for a match for his bone marrow — locally, none was found.
“An international donor was found and my son had to be hospitalised again in preparation for the bone marrow transplant. The hospital/medical aid people sent someone overseas to harvest bone marrow to bring it back for my son and he fully recovered. Through this journey, I started to believe that God will never give you a burden you cannot carry,” he said.
Five years later, his son is a Civil Engineering student at Wits.
Prof Naidu said early detection is essential for saving lives.
“Parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers must recognise the warning signs, which include: a white spot in the eye or sudden blindness; a lump or swelling in any part of the body, especially the stomach; unexplained fever or weight loss; persistent bone pain or easy fractures; difficulty walking, changes in coordination, or severe headaches (sometimes with vomiting),” he said.
The early diagnosis of childhood cancer and the prompt referral to specialised treatment centres are crucial for enhancing patient outcomes, Naidu said.
“Childhood cancer is indeed curable; however, this is contingent upon timely diagnosis and immediate treatment,” he said.
In South Africa, around 1 000 new childhood cancer cases are recorded annually by the South African Children’s Tumour Registry.
However, the Department of Health, led by Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi said it is crucial to note that many additional cases remain undiagnosed and untreated due to barriers in accessing healthcare.
The common childhood cancers in South Africa are leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumours, and eye and kidney tumours.
Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 400 000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.
Speaking of the importance of psychosocial support to childhood cancer patients and their families, Dr Kibachio Mwangi of the WHO South African office said that childhood cancer treatment is incomplete without palliative care which provides the much-needed support for pain relief, dignity, and psychosocial support to patients and their families.
Palliative care is a type of medical care that focuses on improving the quality of life for people with serious illnesses.
Mwangi said: “We are working with the Department of Health and other stakeholders to streamline the provision of palliative care through specialised units as well as in community and home-based platforms.”
The Department of Health said South Africa supports the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC), which aims to achieve a global survival rate of 60% by 2030.
“This initiative prioritises providing treatment to children and adolescents in a way that maintains their dignity and reduces suffering,” the department said.
It acknowledged the contribution of all stakeholders including healthcare professionals, civil society, parent organisations, NGOs, and individuals dedicated to improving care and outcomes for childhood cancer.
The Department of Health, working with stakeholders including the WHO, and SAAPHO, said it is committed to addressing challenges and supporting those in need.
Hedley Lewis, chief executive of Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC) said, “We firmly stand in solidarity with children, families, and caregivers impacted by childhood cancer.
“By championing ICCD 2025, we are committed to raising awareness, advocating for essential healthcare reforms, and ensuring that every child has equal access to life-saving treatments.”
The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) urged the government, public health agencies, philanthropic organisations and corporates to allocate more funding to educational resources in the fight against childhood cancer.
Deputy Director for the SABMR, Jane Ward, said: “Having access to the latest educational resources not only enhances treatment options, but also helps children and their families navigate their cancer journey once diagnosed. Access to accurate research-backed information can help caregivers and medical teams detect cancer earlier, which will substantially improve survival rates. Currently, most children in South Africa are diagnosed too late.”
She said childhood cancers are predominantly caused by genetic and environmental factors, which is different from that of adult cancers.
In the last five years, the SABMR marked an increase in the number of children referred for stem cell transplants, due to blood-related cancers. Of the more than 800 patients referred, 35% were children, Ward said.
gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za