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Campaign lends voice to child cancer patients

Sharjah - The Child4Child campaign has been launched in coordination with International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC, and Queen Silvia of Sweden.

A voice campaign for children with cancer was launched by Shaikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and The Ruler of Sharjah; Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP) on Monday at the headquarters of the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation.
The Child4Child campaign has been launched in coordination with International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC, and Queen Silvia of Sweden.
Commenting on the occasion Shaikha Jawaher said: "Today marks the International Childhood Cancer Day ...and we are all in agreement that we need to reduce the global burden of childhood cancer. This requires raising awareness as well as providing education to improve decision-making, along with increased cancer surveillance, early detection and emphasis on prevention. Equal access to treatment for children with cancer is an important human right and must be on the agenda of health and humanitarian organisations at the international level."
She added: "The Child4Child campaign is an important platform for children with cancer as it gives them a voice and a chance to be heard. Children with cancer are superheroes with inspiring stories, let's help them make it through their illness, and give them a chance to tell their own stories, and to build a cancer-free world."
Shaikha Jawaher also launched the music video for the single "We Are One", sung by children, some of whom have cancer, with the aim of supporting children with cancer.In 2016, the Childhood Cancer International (CCI) invited children everywhere to contribute to singing "We Are One" and more than 900,000 children have participated.
The song was written by award-winning Hollywood film composer, Christophe Beck and his daughter Sophie. Children from the music school, Adolf Fredrik in Stockholm, performed the complete song live for the first time at the launch of Child4Child.
Praising Shaikha Jawaher's efforts in supporting and advocating for children with cancer, Queen Silvia said: "I have learned through my work with children that they always have something to say to us, we need to listen to them, and therefore the "Child4 Child" campaign is very important. "
Speaking to Khaleej Times on Wednesday, Ameera Bin Karam, President of the Board of Trustees and founding member of FoCP, said that the campaign was launched deliberately on the sidelines of the International Childhood Cancer day, adding that more than 700 children around the world are diagnosed with childhood cancer. That means that more than 250,000 children face this terrible diagnosis every year and sadly, more than 90,000 of these children simply won't survive.
"Child4Child is the first international awareness campaign bringing together childhood cancer advocacy groups, parents and survivors groups from around the world to work together to remind the world that even one death from childhood cancer is too many," she added.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com