Between 1,000 and 1,500 Moroccan children affected by cancer annually
Morocco, Health, 4/16/2003

Between 1,000 and 1,500 children are annually affected by various forms of cancer annually, and only 700 to 7500 are admitted in cancer hospitals in Rabat and Casablanca.

The figures were announced Monday by Fouzia Mseffer Alaoui from the association of parents and friends of cancer-affected children "Avenir" at a press conference.

She said that in developed countries, four children out of five are cured from cancer, stressing that the two cancer hospitals in Rabat and Casablanca have become too small and inappropriate to treat adequately the increasing number of cancer patients. Only 60 children were admitted in these hospitals in 1983 and the number grows to 450 in 2001.

She also noted the poor rate of health insurance-covered children, as only 17% have a health insurance and 60% are destitute.

In order to treat blood cancers, she urged for carrying out a program, proposed by her association, to build a 3,081 square meter-facility neighboring the child hospital of Rabat and increase the health teams and budget.

The project, also supported by the health ministry and the Rabat hospital school of Ibn Sina, requires an overall budget of 20,5 million DH (US$ 2.05 million).

"Avenir" association which lives on voluntary donations projects to intensify its fund-raising activities. A telethon on Moroccan TV channel 2M was scheduled for this April 29 but had to be put off to a later date because of war in Iraq.

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