Togo: Around 900 children are diagnosed with cancer every year (estimates)

Health
Friday, 16 February 2024 17:18
Togo: Around 900 children are diagnosed with cancer every year (estimates)

(Togo First) - On average, 900 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. The data was disclosed by experts on February 15, 2024, on the International Pediatric Cancer Day.

"Pediatric cancers are present in our country," said Dr Ahadji Kossi Adji, a specialist in the prevention of non-communicable diseases, in an interview with Radio Lomé. "When the 2022-2025 Cancer Plan was drawn up, statistics showed that there were around 900 cases of pediatric cancers every year. And projections show that over the next 10 years, these figures will be around 9,000 to 10,000, but these are just estimates," he added.

However, since data is scarcely available in Togo, these figures need to be validated. To tackle this challenge, experts await the establishment of a population-based cancer registry that will provide a more accurate assessment nationwide.

According to previous research, however, childhood cancers account for around 4% of all recorded cases, with an average age of 8 years, mainly leukemias (blood cancers), which are very common in children, as well as lymphatic cancers.

Two years ago, Togo set up a department specializing in pediatric oncology (childhood cancers) at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Sylvanus Olympio in Lomé. The facility had cost CFA200 million to set up. 

Ayi Renaud Dossavi

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