The country's health authorities are noting an increasing incidence of breast, cervical and prostate cancer amongst the general public and a particular increase in the rates of cancer amongst children.
The government has aimed to tackle this problem with initiatives aimed at providing free treatment and medication for child cancer cases but has fallen well short of its ambitions. An increasing number of cancer patients are expected to purchase relatively expensive medication and pay for expensive diagnostic examinations such as MRI.
More than 10% of the children in Sudan have been diagnosed with cancer, this is more than double the world average. The sad part is that this figure is likely to be much higher.
Highlighted below are contributing factors to the lack of diagnostics and the reason for the unlikelihood of child cancer treatment at an early stage:
- Distance to specialised treatment centres
- Limited diagnostic capabilities and equipment in hospitals and general practices
- Financial difficulties/lack of funding
- Lack of awareness and widespread ignorance amongst families, especially outside the capital, Khartoum.
Children of Sudan volunteers visited the Radiation and Isotope Centre in Khartoum where the majority of Sudan's cancer cases are seen and treated. Having consulted with the Doctors and spoke to patients, we identified a number inexpensive and effective medications that are highly demanded (because of the longer term nature of the cyclical treatment) but can no longer be afforded due to the increase in price and relatively low income rates.
Children of Sudan, Pharmacy Project aims to coordinate with local pharmacies to provide free cancer medication , such as Bicarbonate of Soda -used to treat cancers when taken orally - and Cytarabine an agent drug used regularly by the children under chemotherapy treatment, to enable child cancer patients to have uninterrupted treatment that is absolutely necessary for the effective cure of the cancer.
With your help we aim to expand this program to reach more pharmacies, provide them with better quality, free cancer medication that can reach more children.
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