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CanKids signs MoU with Govt. of Maharashtra to Provide Access2Care for Children With Cancer

​Ahead of the 18th International Childhood Cancer Day ICCD on Feb 15th, CanKids is delighted to have signed an MOU with the Public Health Department and Medical Education and Drug Department, as their knowledge and technical partner for Childhood Cancer in Maharashtra on 11th February 2019.

The MoU exchange ceremony was part of Maharashtra Government’s ‘Maha Parivartan- Partners in Development’ Initiative. 2 separate MOUs were exchanged by Mukul Marwah, Vice Chairman &Regional Director West, Cankids with Dr Sanjay Mukherjee, Secretary MEDD and Dr Anup Kumar Yadav, Commissioner (Health Services) and Director National Health Services in the presence of Hon Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Mr Pravin Pardeshi, ACS to Chief Minister, Mr Girish Mahajan, Hon. Minister Medical Education and Water Resources, Prof. Ram Shankar Shinde, Hon. Minister Water Resources.

This is the 2nd State level MOU that Cankids has signed after the one signed with Punjab Govt in 2017. Cankids will work with Medical Education department and the Pediatric Hematology Oncology chapter of IAP to strengthen Childhood Cancer treatment care and support services at cancer centers, developing pediatric cancer centers of excellence, better protocols and management guidelines and quality drugs. It will work with the State’s National Health Mission -NHM to drive Access to care and referral pathways and for resource directories, Helpline’s, information and public awareness as well as to build capacities of health care professionals at primary and district levels to detect, refer and manage shared care and with the Health Department for ease of access to welfare and insurance schemes including the just launched Ayushmann Bharat.
 

International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) is celebrated around the world each year on February 15. Originally commemorated in 2002, ICCD is a day founded by Childhood Cancer International (CCI), a global network of 171-member organizations in 88 countries. The global theme for ICCD 2018 is ‘No more Pain, No more Loss’ for children with cancer and their families.

On September 28, 2018 at the United Nations General Assembly, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced its new global initiative to address the disparity between childhood cancer survivals in low-middle countries and that of high-income countries. Each year, more than 300,000 children (0 to 19 years) are diagnosed with cancer around the world. Approximately 8 in 10 of these children live in low and middle-income countries where their survival rate is often near to 20%. This is in stark contrast to high-income countries, where cure rates exceed 80% for many common childhood cancers.

The Target Goal of the WHO Global Childhood Cancer Initiative is to eliminate all pain and suffering of children fighting cancer and achieve at least 60% survival for all children diagnosed with cancer around the world by 2030.

Across 59 cancer centers where CanKids works through its Hospital Support Unit partnerships, children are decorating their Golden Ring of Hope with Gold ribbons and participating in Creative Manch to “Say No To Pain”.  Families are signing the ”Say No to Pain” Charter, and which they are giving to their Institutional Heads.  CanKids is partnering with many cancer centers and NGOs to create special awareness programs over six weeks.

“I am very grateful to the Government of Maharashtra for having signed the MoU with CanKids for Childhood Cancer. The PHO Chapter of IAP has always striven towards the goal of Every Child Matters and, it is our vision to reach out to every child with cancer. Childhood Cancer is curable and therefore, it’s even more important that each and every child has access to quality care and affordable treatment close to their place of residence. I am sure this valuable MoU will ensure this for every child who needs it and fully deserves it! Childhood cancers are on the rise and we all as the PHO fraternity come together and unitedly wipe this menace from the face of the earth by giving it a tough fight with the combined resources of the government as well as the NGOs such as CanKids. CanKids has a track record of hugely supporting the cause of childhood cancer and together we will achieve our goals of Quality Care and Affordable Care for Every Child with Cancer! No child should die because of want of facilities, expertise and/or money! A great step has indeed been taken in the state of Maharashtra for others to emulate soon!”

Cankids launched Change for Childhood Cancer in Maharashtra in April 2018.  In September- Childhood Cancer Awareness month, Maharashtra went Gold.– the color of childhood cancer. Go Gold Maharashtra saw Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai (CSMT) Go Gold with Childhood Cancer survivors campaigning for childhood cancer to be a ‘Child Health Priority’ in Maharashtra. For the 1st time ever, 3 more historical monuments in Maharashtra went Gold – Gateway of India, Mumbai, Bibi Ka Makbara, Aurangabad, and Shaniwar Wada during the CanKids Access2Care Car Rally from September 26 to October 1, which covered 1500 kms across 4 of the 6 divisions of Maharashtra.
 
 
The car rally had total 14 cars with 46 participants including 17 Survivors from Mumbai & Delhi, CSR partners, Volunteers, well wishers, CanKids Board members  & employees driving across 4 of the 6 Administrative Divisions of Maharashtra over a total 1400KM. While participants enjoyed Time Distance Speed (TSD) with scavenger hunts and various awareness session en-route, with 4 Hospital based & 7 Community based awareness programs, tying up new partnerships with Hospitals as a CanKids Hospital Support Unit at Govt. Cancer Hospital in Aurangabad, and the Bharati Hospital & Research Center in Pune.
 
The rally kicked off with Gateway of India being lit up Gold and Sing along with renowned musician Kailash Kher on September 26. A Go Gold Gala and a ceremonial Flag off by celebrity Emraan Hashmi (childhood cancer parent) was organised on September 27.
 
The rally flagged off from Thane on September 28 and drove to Tirumbakehswar and on to Nashik. From Nashik, the rally reached Aurangabad via Shirdi. Bibi ka Makbara (Aurangabad) was lit up Gold on September 29, 2018. It travelled from Aurangabad to Barshi through Ahmednagar  and Jamkhed  on Sept 30th and from Barshi to Pune on October 1, 2018. Shaniwar Wada was lit up Gold on October 1.
 
 
This is the 2nd state-level MoU that CanKids has signed after Punjab in September 2017.
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