CANCER IN SENEGAL / AFRICA
History
In 2016, Caluna assumed the hospital fees for three children with cancer. As if by miracle, two of these children recovered after undergoing an operation and treatment. The third, Ibrahim, did not survive the intense treatment.
The parents had taken a long time to consult a doctor, the diagnosis of cancer had been made far too late, the financial means were lacking… At this point Caluna was consulted and took action right away, but unfortunately all the delays had contributed to the loss of this child, who was much too young.
It was then that we began to look into the process that parents with sick children go through – the entrenched traditions, the obstacles and the recognition of cancer in children in Senegal. This led us to discover a fantastic team in Dakar, the only such team for such a large country. At the same time, our findings regarding the general situation in Senegal and Africa were extremely disappointing!
In Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, there are currently estimated to be about 15,000 children under the age of 15 who suffer from cancer. Many of these never end up receiving a diagnosis. The estimated facilities for children who have been diagnosed will unfortunately double by 2025. In 2017, 2,500 children were registered as having cancer; by 2020, this figure will be 3,000 and, by 2025, the estimate is that there will be 5,000 children diagnosed with cancer – twice as many as today!
There are about 800 cases of childhood cancer in Senegal each year. The possibility of cancer occurring in children is little known to not only the greater public, but also to certain parts of the country’s medical community. Early referral and detection is of vital importance. The lack of early diagnosis by the medical world, the distances required to travel and the economic situation of the child’s parents all greatly impact how successful the child’s cancer treatment will be.
In 2016, Caluna assumed the hospital fees for three children with cancer. As if by miracle, two of these children recovered after undergoing an operation and treatment. The third, Ibrahim, did not survive the intense treatment.
The parents had taken a long time to consult a doctor, the diagnosis of cancer had been made far too late, the financial means were lacking… At this point Caluna was consulted and took action right away, but unfortunately all the delays had contributed to the loss of this child, who was much too young.
It was then that we began to look into the process that parents with sick children go through – the entrenched traditions, the obstacles and the recognition of cancer in children in Senegal. This led us to discover a fantastic team in Dakar, the only such team for such a large country. At the same time, our findings regarding the general situation in Senegal and Africa were extremely disappointing!
In Francophone sub-Saharan Africa, there are currently estimated to be about 15,000 children under the age of 15 who suffer from cancer. Many of these never end up receiving a diagnosis. The estimated facilities for children who have been diagnosed will unfortunately double by 2025. In 2017, 2,500 children were registered as having cancer; by 2020, this figure will be 3,000 and, by 2025, the estimate is that there will be 5,000 children diagnosed with cancer – twice as many as today!
There are about 800 cases of childhood cancer in Senegal each year. The possibility of cancer occurring in children is little known to not only the greater public, but also to certain parts of the country’s medical community. Early referral and detection is of vital importance. The lack of early diagnosis by the medical world, the distances required to travel and the economic situation of the child’s parents all greatly impact how successful the child’s cancer treatment will be.
