Doha: Sidra Medicine and Qatar Cancer Society have partnered to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in Qatar with a host of collaborative activities to support children with cancer and their families. A series of educational parent workshops, community and in-patient programmes are being planned throughout the month of September.
The month-long observance has been endorsed by the Cancer Communication Working Group (CCWG) comprised of the National Cancer Program, the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Sidra Medicine and Qatar Cancer Society (QCS).
Dr. Ayman Saleh, Division Chief of Oncology and Hematology at Sidra Medicine said: “Due to their diagnosis and medical treatment, most children with cancer are unable to attend school, engage in sports, attend family celebrations, go on vacations or play. In other words, they cannot just be kids.
“Through our collaboration with Qatar Cancer Society and with the endorsement of the CCWG, we are seeking to raise awareness about cancer and organise activities that will not only bringing happiness to the children, but also connect families facing similar challenges. I am incredibly proud of the work that Qatar as a country is doing to support young patients and their families regarding cancer care and research.”
“One of our joint goals with QCS, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, is to guide parents through the process of discussing their child’s cancer diagnosis with them. We strongly recommend parents with children who have cancer to join us in this initiative as our experts will highlight how to tackle the topic with sensitivity. It is important that both the child and the parent can feel like equal partners during this journey and feel assured that support and help is at hand,” said Dr. Saleh.
Dr. Hadi Mohamed Abu Rasheed, Head of Cancer Awareness and Professional Development Department and Research and Development Officer at Qatar Cancer Society said: “Qatar Cancer Society is always keen to implement social responsibility programmes for people living with cancer in partnership with the concerned institutions in Qatar, including Sidra Medicine. We hope that our partnerships will serve in the long-term interest of children with cancer and their families.”
