Childhood cancer diagnosis within less developed and rural areas has come under the spotlight as September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), around 400 000 new cases are identified each year, with around 1000 of those cases in South Africa.
The Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC) says leukemia is the most frequently diagnosed childhood cancer in the country.
Regional Manager of CHOC KwaZulu-Natal, Agie Govender, says that in 2025, childhood cancer remains a non-communicable disease that kills children and is the top disease-related death among children under the age of 12 worldwide.
“Nothing has changed; the only thing that still exists is that children are being diagnosed too late. The World Health Organization reports approximately 400 000 new cases of childhood cancer annually, and South Africa reports around a thousand new cases annually,” says Govender.
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