Help Support FHACI

FHACI strives to find more and more supporters for its cause and channel various aids. Thanks to the collaboration and availability of approximately 180 members to date, as well as its contributors, the Foundation has been able to provide significant support to the Oncology Unit of St. Damien Hospital, which is, as a reminder, currently the only pediatric oncology section in the country. In recent years, this Unit has provided curative and palliative services to nearly 800 cancer-stricken children from all departments of the country. Currently, it cares for half of them. However, the Unit has only 17 beds, while the number of children suffering from cancer is increasing significantly.

From January 2023 to September 2023, 45 children were diagnosed with cancer pathologies. Starting in 2020, due to the communication campaign initiated by FHACI and the Oncology Unit of St. Damien Hospital for early diagnosis, it was estimated that 90 to 100 would present themselves for care. However, unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-political problems responsible for unprecedented instability have caused a decrease of more than 20% in the care of new cases. It is worth noting, however, that from 2014 to 2019, the increase in new cases to be taken care of had increased significantly.

In countries with low economic levels and weak health infrastructures, the survival rate of children with cancer is barely 10 to 20%.

Early diagnosis and active management are available, it exceeds 80%. Thanks to qualitative and effective care for diagnosed and treated children, the survival rate reaches nearly 41% at the Oncology Unit of St. Damien Hospital.

Table 1: Number of new cases as of September 30, 2023