iGA hosts awareness lecture on childhood cancer

The Information and eGovernment Authority (IGA) has hosted an awareness lecture on childhood cancer, as part of its participation in the “Our Children as Gold 6” campaign. It was organised by the Future Society For Youth Association’s “Smile” Initiative on Psychosocial Support for childhood cancer patients and their parents, which deals with spreading awareness of childhood cancer among various segments of society.

As mentioned, and during the lecture which was held in co-operation with the Department of Health Promotion in the Ministry of Health, Dr Batoul Al Hujairi from the Department of Health Promotion emphasised the importance of parents awareness about the changes that may occur in their children’s health, which may be an indicator of cancer. She pointed out a number of symptoms that should be watched for, and stressed to see a doctor in the event of recurrence, including dizziness, nausea, itching, headache, a feeling of permanent fatigue and tiredness that shows weakness in the body structure, breathing difficulty, and face pallor.

Furthermore, Dr Al Hujairi pointed out that parents play an active role in controlling their child’s pain which is caused by cancer, and she clarified that family solidarity is also a key factor in preventing and treating pain, also providing information to parents might be the best way to ensure good care for the affected child, because the more parents knew how to control their child’s pain, the more they can reduce the suffering of the sick child.