THE Bacolod City Council has approved a resolution requesting the City Health Office (CHO) through the office of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to lead the city’s observance of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September 2022.
The resolution was authored by Councilor Claudio Puentevella, chairperson of the City Council Committee on health.
Puentevella said September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and is symbolized by a gold ribbon, worn to commemorate the event.
“Every year, approximately 300,000 families around the world will hear that their child has cancer,” he said.
Puentevella added childhood cancer is not only devastating to the growth and development in children but also impacts their families and friends.
The councilor stressed that when children should be focusing on school, play and making new friends, if they have cancer, their focus ends up being on treatment, medication, operations, not to mention the physical and emotional effects on all those involved.
Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) dated 17th of February 2021, showed that the Philippines, where an estimated 107 million people live, over 4700 children (aged 0 to 19 years) are expected to be diagnosed with cancer each year, with leukemia accounting for approximately 49 percent of childhood cancers.
Other cancers affect the brain and nervous system (9.7percent), lymph nodes (9 percent, retina (7.5 percent), kidney (3.4 percent), and bone and soft tissues, gonadal, and germ cell sites. Deaths from childhood cancer are estimated at 1700 each year, the WHO said.
Puentevella stressed that cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease for children under the age of 15.
He said the CHO is the lead department that is responsible for public education and awareness programs relative to Childhood Cancer Awareness so that all Bacolodnons are accorded with the benefit of having a responsive healthcare program.
Puentevella disclosed that Section 15 of Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that the State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.