Learn about childhood cancer at Sharjah fest

sharjah — Spreading awareness about the early detection of childhood cancers, Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) is back at the ongoing Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF).

Through its yearly participation at the fest, the FOCP is bringing its ‘Ana-vation’ initiative closer to thousands of children and youth adults, encouraging them to pay attention to their bodies and educating them on the early signs of paediatric cancer.

Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, directorgeneral of FOCP, said: “The SCRF gives us the opportunity to highlight our recent efforts in our fight against 12 childhood cancers. The ‘Ana-vation’ initiative is one of them, which has been shedding light on the importance of early detection of childhood cancer through fun-filled and educational activities.”

The Ana-vation School Championship, for example, is offering children the opportunity to use their knowledge in STEAM concepts (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) to build simple robotic devices, which

The SCRF gives us the opportunity to highlight our recent efforts in our fight against 12 childhood cancers.”

Dr Sawsan Al Madhi, director-general of FOCP

can detect the early symptoms of cancer, Dr Al Madhi said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), childhood cancer is the fourth most common cause of death in kids under 15 years of age in industrialised countries.

As part of their awareness drive, the FOCP team has been distributing information booklets that list the common symptoms of paediatric cancer, including paleness, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, increased swelling and excessive bleeding.

Those who would be dropping by the FOCP’s booth can also browse and purchase inspiring children’s books that tell the stories of kids who are either fighting cancer or whose loved ones are battling the disease.