[Photo: KELERA DITAIKI]

Five children have died from cancer in Fiji since the start of this year, while 64 others are currently battling the disease.

These figures shows the urgent need for parents and communities to recognize the early signs of childhood cancer and seek medical treatment without delay.

Speaking at the launch of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, WOWS Kids Fiji Foundation board member Anabelle Ali says the numbers are a sobering reminder of the challenges many Fijian families continue to face.

“The families that we look after are not financially heavy in terms of getting access to medical treatment. So what we ensure is every child is picked up from their home and gets to the hospital. You would be surprised, sometimes the cost of simple things like a bus fare or a taxi ride is a financial burden to these families.”

Ali says there are currently 64 children under the care of WOWS and the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, including 21 girls and 43 boys, with the youngest patient just 10 months old.

She says Fiji records an average of 30 new childhood cancer cases each year, highlighting the need for parents and caregivers to recognize the early warning signs and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Ali stresses that childhood cancer is treatable when detected early and urges communities to reject misconceptions that cancer is a curse or that treatment should be avoided.

The foundation is expanding its outreach efforts into communities, saying the actual number of childhood cancer cases may be higher than those currently recorded due to late diagnosis and underreporting.

She is encouraging the public to support awareness activities planned throughout August and help spread the message that early detection can save lives.