Bwaila Lions Club in childhood cancer awareness drive

Bwaila Lions Club under Lions Club International has intensified childhood cancer awareness exercise, as one way of helping to fight against cancer disease among children in the country.

Speaking on the sidelines of childhood cancer awareness fun-walk organized by Bwaila Lions Club which was conducted from Mbowe to Game complex in Lilongwe on Saturday, Bwaila Lions Club President, Lion Madalo Haji, said that many people in the country do not know about childhood cancer; hence, the awareness exercise.

“In the month of September every year we commemorate childhood cancer, therefore, as a club, we have embarked on an exercise aimed at bringing awareness to the public about childhood cancer as many people they do not know about it.

“For example, childhood cancer comes as a brain tumor and many parents do not know about that, so we want to emphasize to the parents that when their child is not feeling well they should go to the hospital immediately and seek medical attention,” Haji said.

She added that, as Bwaila Lions Club under Lions Club International, they do charity work whereby they help underprivileged people focusing on five pillars which is; childhood cancer, diabetes, environment, eye sight and hunger.

Haji further said that, through the childhood awareness exercise, they want also to raise funds to help them buy food and medical equipment that would be donated to children cancer ward at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe.

Ministry of Health Public Relations Officer (PRO), Adrian Chikumbe applauded Bwaila Lions Club for its initiative.

“70 percent of children do recover from cancer when they have been treated at early stage, however, most of the children do not receive the treatment of the disease in good time because many parents are not aware of the cancer signs in children.

“Hence as the ministry we commend Bwaila Lions Club for its childhood cancer awareness drive and we need more of similar awareness exercises in the country,” Chikumbe said.