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

On the occasion of International Childhood Cancer Day, Feb 15, 2022, CanKids KidsCan - National Society for Change for Childhood Cancer in India proudly signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Gujarat, as their knowledge and technical partner for Access2Care for children with cancer and their families in the state.

CanKids will work with the state department as well as all concerned departments, including the National Health Mission and the Department of Medical Education, to strengthen childhood cancer care and support.
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Present at the signing were Mr. Jai Prakash Shivahare, Commissioner, Department of Family Welfare, Medical Services, Medical Education & Research, Govt of Gujarat, Remya Mohan Muthadath, IAS Mission Director, National Health Mission, and Dr. Nayan P. Jani, Additional Commissioner, Family Welfare. 

CanKids KidsCan was represented by its Vice-Chairman and Retired Civil Servant (1982 Batch) Mr. Mukul Marwah, Dr. Dhanshri S. Pradhan, Head-National Outreach Project, Pradnya Kasle, Deputy General Manager Western Region, Mr. Hiren Rana, Project Manager, and two childhood cancer survivors.

Under the MoU, CanKids will work with the Government of Gujarat and all relevant stakeholders to:

1. Develop an Access2Care model, including a 4-tier Childhood Cancer Network with referral pathways from primary to tertiary levels and for Shared Care at primary, district, and tertiary cancer care centres for diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care.
2. Provide access to care information and awareness to health professionals, government officials, civil society, and patients' families.
3. Build capacities of health care professionals, allied social support teams and health workers as well as patient-parent education for childhood cancer.
4. Ensure the provision of facilities and services for patients' families including access to funding and financing through government and other welfare schemes, financing schemes, insurance as well as donor support.
5. Drive improved standards of access to treatment, care, and support through improved quality, research, and epidemiology.
6. Ensure family engagement and patient participation of patients, survivors, and parents to ensure patient-centric care.

​“The aim is to ensure that families of children with cancer get the best access to care along with right treatment support and care – through appropriate knowledge of where to go, timely diagnosis and treatment, shared care and continuity of care, working at all levels Primary health care, district and tertiary cancer centres. Cankids needs to focus on reducing the barrier to Access to Care and capacity building of the HCP, HWCs and community level workers for identification of Children with Cancer.
It's important to save children from Cancer particularly at a young age as we have good treatment facilities in Gujarat. And CanKids KidsCan will bring additional value in the children's life by providing more support.”

- Jai Prakash Shivahare, (IAS), Commissioner of Health, Family Welfare, Medical Services, Medical Education and Research

"This MoU is about partnerships. We are fighting a war against cancer.

Childhood Cancer, with high survival rates and positive outcomes is the low-hanging fruit in this war. In LMICs like India, CSOs and patient groups are a vital fourth partner for people-centered integrated Access2Care.

It is only when state governments, local health authorities, medical institutions, doctors and health professionals of the public and private sector, CSOs, patient, survivor groups, and CSR partners come together that we will be able to provide the best treatment, care, and support for children with cancer and their families in the state of Gujarat."

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- Mukul Marwah
Vice-Chairman and Regional Director, CanKids​ KidsCan

The incidence of childhood cancer in Gujarat is 3,632 each year against all India Incidence of 76,805. 
This makes it the 8th highest state after Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh, accounting for 4.73% of the total incidence in India.

Our extensive baseline studies indicate that 54% of children with cancer are being treated at a cancer centre in Gujarat, the largest number being treated at Ahmedabad at the Institute of Gujarat Cancer Research Institute. We estimate that 46% of the children of Gujarat who have cancer get neither a diagnosis or treatment.

We have had a presence in Gujarat Since 2011. Since 2019 our National Outreach and West India teams have mapped and identified 26 hospitals treating childhood cancer where they will work over the next five years.

The state has major treating centres like the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, HCG Ahmadabad, Kailash Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, and Tejani Cancer Institute. Over the next five years, we plan to work with all  stakeholders to create a Hubs and Spokes or Shared Care model for the state with the support of the government of Gujarat. Through it, we will ensure that we increase children's access to cancer care from the existing 54% to 100%.

With this MoU in place, we will work closely with the government as well as other partners and state players (including Trust and Private Hospitals treating children with cancer) to ensure better access and quality of care with higher survival rates and positive outcomes. We are grateful for the support of our CSR and other donor partners over the years to Change for Childhood Cancer in Gujarat, key among who have been Relief From Cancer and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

This is the 5th State level MoU that CanKids has signed after Punjab in September 2017, Maharashtra in February 2019, West Bengal in August 2020, and Tamil Nadu in December 2021.​