The 4 Childhood Cancers Now Being Covered Under The NHIS.
The Ghana NHIS will from January 2022 cover 4 childhood cancers. This welcoming news was announced during the National Health Insurance Week by First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo on behalf of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The scheme will specifically cover the following; Burkitt Lymphoma, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, Wilms tumour and Retinoblastoma . These cancers constitute 60 per cent of all childhood cancer cases in the country.
The First Lady commended the President on this laudable directive given to the NHIS through the Ministry of Health. “Indeed, our children deserve to live long productive lives to enable them to compete successfully with other children in the world” she remarked during the launch of the NHIS Week.
Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo is well-known for her passionate relentless support of women and children’s social development. Her presence and work spans from raising funds through the Rebecca Foundation towards the building of health facilities .
What do you know about these childhood cancers? Here’s a brief description of each cancer.
Burkitt Lymphoma :
Burkitt’s lymphoma is a rare and aggressive form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer of the lymphatic system, which helps your body fight infections.
2. Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
This is a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made.
3 Wilms Tumour
This is a type of childhood cancer that starts in the kidneys. It is the most common type of kidney cancer in children.
4. Retinoblastoma
is an eye cancer that begins in the retina — the sensitive lining on the inside of your eye. Retinoblastoma most commonly affects young children, but can rarely occur in adults. A rare form of eye cancer, retinoblastoma is the most common form of cancer affecting the eye in children. Retinoblastoma may occur in one or both eyes
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) , 400,000 children between the ages of 0-19 die of childhood cancers.
