Aid to Childhood Cancer Patients Impacted by COVID-19 pandemic

The distress induced by the pandemic has taken its toll on the Cancer care services for children from underprivileged households. Already extremely vulnerable to COVID, the economic crisis have pushed many children suffering from Cancer away from the regular lifesaving treatment as well. In ₹1,000 you can support essential nutritional supplements and meals for a child for a week, while your contribution of ₹5,000 can support one chemotherapy cycle for a child.

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted cancer care services in India and poor underprivileged cancer patients are the most affected. Poor cancer patients do not have the financial means to support and continue treatment due to the economic impact of the pandemic and lockdown. Optimal treatment and supportive care are crucial to improving outcomes in childhood cancer. However, treatment is being abandoned by the guardians/parents of patients due to lack of funds, observed greatly due to economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and this gap in active cancer treatment causes cancers to grow and metastasize. Also, children with cancer, particularly those undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy have very weak immune systems and are extremely vulnerable to infections like COVID-19.

According to global cancer estimates there are about 50,000 children diagnosed with cancer in India every year. Childhood cancers though life threatening is today curable if it is caught early and adequate treatment is provided; and have good overall survival rates. However, outcomes are still modest due to significant barriers in cancer care, and reasons for poor outcome include delayed diagnosis, treatment abandonment, relapses and toxicity. The poor and underprivileged patients look on helplessly unless they receive substantial funds for cancer treatment.

Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) is a 52 years old non-profit organization that addresses cancer through the distinctive philosophy of 'Total Management of Cancer'. The primary concern of CPAA is to meet the needs of poor cancer patients who do not have access nor can afford cancer treatment, and our efforts have been severely impacted since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Childhood cancer patients are referred to us from various government hospitals like Wadia hospital, Sion hospital, KEM hospital, Nair hospital, etc. by health care professionals. CPAA provides medical aid in the form of chemotherapy drugs, nutritional supplements and financial support for cancer treatments like surgery and radiation therapy. CPAA has a dedicated Patient Care team, teams of social workers and counsellors that work jointly with health care professionals, cancer patients and their families in a holistic fashion providing maximum support. CPAA ensures disbursement of timely medical aid and support throughout the year as many patients have stopped treatment due to the financial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total Management of cancer for poor children by supporting them to access treatment with medical and financial aid, along with social and psychological counselling and dietary support. Acute cancers usually get worse quickly if they are not treated in time, however survival among children being treated in a timely manner is very high. But the poor and underprivileged patients look on helplessly unless they receive a substantial contribution from generous donors. Cancer Patients Aid Association provides the vital link between donors and patients and aids them in their valiant struggle.