By Mariya Shuaibu Suleiman

Childhood cancer remains one of the most challenging health issues globally, affecting millions of young lives each year. Nigeria stands at the forefront of a harrowing battle against childhood cancer, with Kano emerging as a poignant focal point in this nationwide struggle. The World Health Organization (WHO) paints a sobering picture, estimating that Nigeria grapples with approximately 30,000 fresh cases of childhood cancer annually, disproportionately burdening low and middle-income regions like Kano.
In Kano, the Nigeria Population Commission reported capturing and registering 1,109,515 births in the last 11 months across its 44 Local Government Areas. Recent revelations shine a harsh light on Kano’s plight. The Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) witnessed an alarming surge in childhood cancer diagnoses. According to Dr. Suleiman Ali, a Medical Doctor at the AKTH, the hospital admits a significant number of children daily, ranging from 4 to 5 and sometimes more, due to the severity of cases. Despite concerted efforts, children in Kano, especially those aged 0–4 years, face daunting odds with many succumbing to the disease during treatment.
In 2023, Abdullahi Sarki Muhammad was deeply moved by the suffering of children diagnosed with cancer and the financial burdens placed on their families. As a way of giving back to the society, he established the Kano Childhood Cancer Foundation (KCCF) alongside his friends who had the same interest at heart.
“Our mission is supporting the vulnerable children that are suffering from cancer, and our vision is providing care and financial support, and counseling to the families of the children suffering from cancer.”

       Picture of the Pediatric Ward, AKTH

Hadiza Musa Kazaure whose daughter Khadija battled with eye cancer, shared how the foundation’s assistance was crucial.

“I was scared my daughter, Khadija was diagnosed with eye cancer, I thought I was going to lose her because we couldn’t afford the treatment she needed. Fortunately for us, the foundation stepped in and paid for her treatment, medication and food. I am happy she is okay now and slowly getting back to her normal life, all thanks to KCCF” she said.

Kazaure’s family, residing below the poverty line, struggles daily to provide even basic necessities. Before the intervention of KCCF for Khadija’s eye cancer treatment, they often faced uncertainties about affording food, let alone medical care for cancer.

Picture of Khadija, the beneficiary

Prof. Umar Shehu, the Chairman of the Pediatric Tumor Board at AKTH and a co-founder of the KCCF said over 80% of these families were very poor and struggled to cover the costs of treatment, which only exacerbated their suffering.

“Seeing what my patients are going through and paying out of pockets is a huge burden. A lot of financial toxicity on the parents. More than 80% of my patient’s parents are very poor and cannot afford to pay out of pocket for treatment. I realized that something had to be done to alleviate this financial toxicity and provide support for these vulnerable children” he added

According to the KCCF founder, the Board of the Trustees consists of five people who oversee the foundation’s operations including costs for drugs, treatment, laboratory tests, surgery, and other essential needs such as food. He also noted that the foundation’s source of funding is through donations by members of the Board and friends.

“Our funding comes internally from us as well as friends and other well-wishers across religion and tribes and came across the country basically. A number of people that were colleagues in the industry and friends have contributed significantly to the foundation. Today we have a lot funds in our account. We currently have twenty-four patients under our care and currently, are paying 700,000 Naira to cover chemotherapy and some medications for some of our patients. We are hoping to do more going forward. We work hand in hand with the Tumor Board of AKTH. They advise us and recommend those patients that need financial support”.

One of the beneficiaries, an 11 year old cancer survivor Aisha Aminu, who survived blood cancer could not hold her joy as she got back to her feet.

 Picture of Aisha, another beneficiary

“I am so happy with the treatment I got here and thank you so much.”

Her mother, Sadiya Sani Aminu, tearfully expressed gratitude for the foundation’s support, which enabled Aisha to receive life-saving treatment.

“Without KCCF, we wouldn’t have been able to afford her treatment. Seeing Aisha healthy and happy again is a miracle,” she said, her voice trembling with emotion.

The foundation’s assistance not only restored Aisha’s health but also renewed hope in their family.

At the moment, the foundation only supports cancer patients below the age of 14 years.

Picture of the KCCF Previous Awareness Campaign on the International Day of Childhood Cancer

Also, Dr. Mu’uatassim Ibrahim, one of the members of the KCCF Board of Trustees and a Consulting Paediatrician at the AKTH, highlighted the importance of the awareness campaigns carried out by KCCF. According to him, some people do not know what cancer is about. They may believe it’s not a hospital problem and attribute it to superstitions, like witchcraft.

“Earlier this year around February, we celebrated the International Childhood Cancer Day. The essence is to bring awareness of Childhood Cancer, its symptoms, the importance of early diagnosis and its curability if detected early”.

Beyond medical treatment, KCCF also provides essential supplies such as food to the children undergoing treatment.  “We support the patients with feeding to reduce the cancer burden and then to alleviate anxiety, reduce some of these financial toxicity  from the parents  to and improve the quality of life no matter how small.”

Dr. Suleiman Ali, a medical doctor specializing in Pediatric Oncology at AKTH, highlighted the treatment processes for childhood cancers, protocols involved and the common cancers they treated at the hospital.

“The commonest ones we see now is the cancer of the eye called ‘retinoblastom’ followed by cancer of the blood cancer which is ‘leukemia’. At the teaching hospital, we receive all types of childhood cancers because we have a cancer center”, he explained. Treatment of cancer is never an emergency because first you need to ensure that the child is nutritionally okay. We optimize the children  and prepare them for the side effects of the drugs before treatment. This is because most the cancer drugs have side effects and may cause many problems such as  kidney failure,” he added.

Discussing the role of KCCF in early cancer detection and support, Dr. Ali explained that the KCCF plays a crucial role in public enlightenment and financial support for treatment, which is otherwise largely an out-of-pocket expense for families.

“Because of limited funds,the foundation’s role for now is to support. They review cases and see what aspects they can help with, whether it’s drugs or other needs because they don’t have much money to themselves. The Pediatric Tumor Board, which includes clinicians and other experts, identifies areas where support is needed and recommends actions.” He added.

Despite its successes, KCCF faces several challenges, including limited funding and the need for more specialized medical equipment.

According to KCCF’s Prof. Shehu, the foundation is continuously seeking partnerships and donations to sustain and expand its programs as it aims to expand its reach and provide support to all children diagnosed with cancer in Kano.

“The long-term aim is not just support, is to make cancer treatment free for all children in Kano State. Like the name implies, Kano Childhood Cancer Foundation is not restricted to AKTH only,” he said.

He highlighted that the Foundation faces significant challenges both internally and externally. This includes late presentation of cases due to misconceptions about cancer from the community.

Prof. Shehu emphasizes the need for early detection and the importance of changing community perceptions about cancer. He added that KCCF plans to scale up its efforts by organizing a fundraising dinner in August 2024, aimed at garnering more community support.

He added that the foundation seeks to enhance its infrastructure and training facilities to provide better care for children with cancer. Also, the KCCF founder highlighted they are working towards establishing a well-equipped cancer center to treat all cancer ailments free of charge.

This story was produced by Women Radio 91.7 in partnership with Nigeria Health Watch through the Solutions Journalism Network.