Staff Writer
KIDZCAN Zimbabwe has intensified its nationwide campaign to boost early childhood cancer detection and train rural healthcare workers.
Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, Kidzcan Zimbabwe chief executive officer Daniel McKenzie said the organisation was working closely with the ministry of Health and Child Care to bridge gaps in childhood cancer detection and treatment.
“Childhood cancers are more treatable in children than in adults and if detected early, no child should die of cancer. As you all know, it’s about early detection. Our message throughout the country has always been that if you find or suspect something, then refer the child to a health clinic immediately,” McKenzie said.
McKenzie revealed that delays in diagnosis remain one of the biggest challenges, largely because childhood cancer is not adequately covered in the training curriculum for nurses at primary healthcare facilities.
“There is a huge gap in the referral process. Nurses are sometimes not sure of the signs and symptoms, resulting in delays before children eventually reach Parirenyatwa hospital.
“We have a national campaign training nurses in various clinics throughout the country. We conducted our first awareness campaign in 2019 in Harare and Chitungwiza, covering 47 clinics and four hospitals.
“We then moved to Bulawayo, Gweru and later Masvingo and Chivi districts. This year we also moved to Manicaland, where our team trained nurses and home-based care workers in several districts,” he said.
“Next week the team will be in Mashonaland West where they will continue training nurses and community healthcare workers because awareness and early referral are key in saving children’s lives.”
McKenzie said the three most common childhood cancers in Zimbabwe were leukaemia, retinoblastoma and Wilms tumour.
“The most common cancer in Zimbabwe is leukaemia, which is cancer of the blood, followed by retinoblastoma, which affects the eye, and Wilms tumour, a cancer of the kidney,” he said.
He added that many children were still arriving at health institutions when the disease had already advanced, as families often sought alternative treatment first.
“Sixty percent of our children present late because families initially seek help from traditional healers or faith healers. This reduces the chances of successful treatment.
“We realised that many parents first approach religious leaders before seeking medical attention. These leaders have influence in communities and can play a critical role in encouraging early referral,” he said.
McKenzie said Zimbabwe’s participation in the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer was expected to improve survival rates.
“We want every child suffering from cancer in Zimbabwe to be given the opportunity to thrive. Success stories should not be exceptions; they should become the norm,” he said.
Globally, the WHO estimates that approximately 400 000 children are diagnosed with cancer each year.
While survival rates in high-income countries exceed 80 percent owing to early detection and access to advanced treatment, outcomes in low- and middle-income countries such as Zimbabwe remained significantly lower.
Survival rates in these settings often fall below 20 percent, largely due to late diagnosis, shortages of essential medicines and limited access to specialised cancer care services.