Kidzcan Zimbabwe at ZITF boon for families.

KidzCan Zimbabwe’s attendance at the Zimbabwe international Trade Fair (ZITF) 2022 proved a boon for families as 767 people passed through the stand where various issues on paediatric cancer were shared.

Speaking at the exhibition KidzCan Zimbabwe health coordinator and nurse Charity Kawadza called upon the nation to take children to health facilities for screening so as to ensure early detection and treatment of childhood cancer.

She encouraged parents to find active time with their children.

“As parents we are always caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day, leaving maids to bath and take care of our children. One comes back home from work, and they are too tired to notice anything, the children have retired to bed. This way signs and symptoms of cancer are missed,” said Kawadza.

This often leads to late presentation at health facilities resulting in late detection and treatment.

Most childhood cancers are curable if presented early,” said Kawadza.

Kawadza said KidzCan was happy with success stories of those who have timely come through the hands of KidzCan and have been cured of the disease. She explained that everyone has a role to play in the fight against childhood cancer.

“We are saying through our hands we can make a difference, it is possible. When one is under treatment of cancer called chemotherapy sometimes their hair falls off or becomes stunted. Through the bandanas worn on the head we show solidarity with those children suffering from cancer, “ said Kawadza.

Zimbabwe, being a low to middle income country like most countries in the region also faces low survival rate with statistics hovering around twenty percent and by contrast at 80 percent in the developed world.

KidzCan Zimbabwe attended the exhibition under the banner of close partners, the National AIDS Council and (NAC)