How COVID-19 took 30,000 children

Despite how essential it is, the Africa healthcare system is suffering greatly.

With African leaders seeking their required medical attention outside the continent, they do not really care about developing about Africa’s healthcare so it remains stagnant.

Thank God that the dreaded COVID-19 doesn’t really have a severe impact on Africa.

If it did, probably the whole continent would’ve been wiped out as the first people to die would’ve been those who should protect the rest from it: the healthcare practitioners.

Yet, COVID-19 has become the excuse by African leaders for healthcare to stagnate further.

And the World Health Organisation has confirmed that Africa’s corona response led to disruptions in other essential health services and cancer screening and treatment, including for childhood cancers, were hit especially hard.

A WHO survey found screening was affected in 46 per cent of countries, while 13 per cent reported a more than 50 per cent disruption.

“We estimate that more than 28,000 children died of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa in 2020. This is truly heartbreaking as childhood cancers are curable if detected early and comprehensive care provided,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Dangou, Noncommunicable Diseases Programme Coordinator at the WHO Regional Office.

In Africa, the childhood cancer survival rate is around 20 percent, compared to more than 80 percent in high-income countries.

As early diagnosis improves chances of survival, WHO stressed that significant improvements can be made in the lives of children with cancer by identifying the disease early and avoiding delays in care. 

The UN agency fears a significant backlog in screening and treatment due to the pandemic could lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. This would put further strain on Africa’s overburdened medical resources and increase avoidable cancer deaths.

 “Substantial investment in cancer prevention and care, including quality training of medical professionals, must be made if we are to avert cancer deaths and cases, especially among children, in our region. As individuals, we must take the initiative to better understand the childhood cancer warning signs to improve early detection and treatment,” Dangou added.