Dubai: A new campaign to help children with cancer has been launched by Shaikha Jawaher Bint Mohammad Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.
The Child4Child campaign to support children with cancer worldwide is a continuation of her recent efforts to fight cancer around the world.
Shaikha Jawaher is filllng her many roles related to the disease as Founder and Royal Patron of the Friends of Cancer Patients Society (FoCP), International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC.
Shaikha Jawaher was joined in the campaign launch by Queen Silvia of Sweden on Monday.
The Child4Child global campaign kickoff was held in conjunction with International Childhood Cancer Day, which is observed every year on February 15 to raise awareness about cancer among children.
Shaikha Jawaher said in a statement: “We are all in agreement that we need to reduce the global burden of childhood cancer, which means we need to address the causes of the disease and reduce its prevalence. This requires raising awareness as well as providing education to improve decision-making, along with increased cancer surveillance, early detection and emphasis on prevention. Equal access to treatment for children with cancer is an important human right and must be on the agenda of health and humanitarian organisations at the international level.”
She pointed out that the International Childhood Cancer Fund, which was launched in cooperation with the UICC in May 2015, is the first humanitarian initiative of its kind in the world that aims to save the lives of many of the 90,000 children who die of cancer each year.
Queen Silvia lauded Shaikha Jawaher’s efforts. “Today the world is seeing the detection of approximately 700 cases of childhood cancer, and tomorrow there will be another 700 other cases diagnosed. I have learnt through my work with children that they always have something to say to us, we need to listen to them, and therefore, the Child4Child campaign is very important,” said Queen Silvia.
In July 2014, Shaikha Jawaher donated Dh5 million to the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Cairo to help ease the suffering of children with cancer in Egypt and neighbouring countries and provide them with treatment and health care.
In May 2015, a new wing was named in her honour after her visit to the hospital in Cairo.
