CanKids signs MoU with Govt. of Tamil Nadu to Provide Access2Care for Children With Cancer
On December 3, 2021, CanKids KidsCan - National Society for Change for Childhood Cancer in India proudly signed an MoU with the Department of Health and Family Welfare Government of Tamil Nadu, as their knowledge and technical partner for Access2Care for children with cancer and their families in Tamil Nadu.
CanKids KidsCan will work with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, as well as all concerned departments - including the National Health Mission and the Department of Medical Education - to strengthen Childhood Cancer Care and support.
CanKids KidsCan was joined by two other NGOs that also signed MoUs with Govt. Of Tamil Nādu. Present on the occasion were Honorable Health Minister Mr. Ma. Subramanian, Health Secretary Dr. Radhakrishnan (IAS), Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan (MLA), National Health Mission Director Dr. Darez Ahamed (IAS), as well as other officials from the NHM. Team CanKids was represented by Mrs. Ravi Kumar (CanKids Board Advisor), Hony. Regional Director (South) Latha Mani, and Project Team Managers, A. Yesuraj and T. G. Shankar.
CanKids KidsCan will work with the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, as well as all concerned departments - including the National Health Mission and the Department of Medical Education - to strengthen Childhood Cancer Care and support.
CanKids KidsCan was joined by two other NGOs that also signed MoUs with Govt. Of Tamil Nādu. Present on the occasion were Honorable Health Minister Mr. Ma. Subramanian, Health Secretary Dr. Radhakrishnan (IAS), Dr. Ezhilan Naganathan (MLA), National Health Mission Director Dr. Darez Ahamed (IAS), as well as other officials from the NHM. Team CanKids was represented by Mrs. Ravi Kumar (CanKids Board Advisor), Hony. Regional Director (South) Latha Mani, and Project Team Managers, A. Yesuraj and T. G. Shankar.
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"Even though the Govt has all the facilities, we need a public-private partnership to strengthen the services. On many occasions, we have achieved great things with the support of NGOs. As I know these NGOs very well, I’m sure in the area of childhood cancer we will be able to achieve more. Soon more than TATA Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, Tamil Nadu cancer hospital which is coming up in Kanchipuram district will provide services & it will be the centre of excellence in the Nation. There are NGOs who don't do any work but still, they claim they have done. So, I appreciate the NHM director who identified the good NGOs to work with the government in partnership." |
"It's important to save the children from Cancer particularly at a young age as we have good treatment facilities in Tamil Nadu. And CANKIDS KIDSCAN will bring additional value in the children's life by providing more support."
- Dr. Radhakrishnan (IAS)
Health Secretary
Under the MoU, Cankids will work with the state Government, and all relevant stakeholders to:
- Develop an Access2Care model including a 4-tier Childhood Cancer Network with referral pathways from primary to tertiary level and for shared care at primary, district and tertiary cancer for diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care.
- Provide access to care information and awareness for health professionals, government officials, civil society, and patient families.
- Build capacities of health care professionals, allied social support teams, and health workers as well as patient-parent education for childhood cancer.
- Ensure the provision of facilities and services for patient families including access to funding and financing through Govt and other welfare schemes, insurance, and financing schemes as well as donor support.
- Drive improved standards of access to treatment, care, and support through improved quality, research, epidemiology.
- Ensure family engagement and patient/survivor participation to ensure patient-centric care.
“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-centred integrated Access2Care. |
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"CanKids needs to focus on capacity building of the VHNs and community level workers for identification of Children with Cancer." |
The Incidence of Childhood Cancer in Tamil Nadu is 3686 each year against all India Incidence of 76805 (Source: "Estimated National and State Level Incidence of Childhood and Adolescent Cancer in India", Arora R., Bagai P., Bhakta N.; INDIAN PEDIATRICS (2021) 417). This makes it the 9th highest state after Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat accounting for 5% of the total incidence in India. Our extensive baseline studies indicate that 61% of children with cancer are being treated at a cancer centre in Tamil Nadu, the largest number being treated at Chennai at the Institute of Child Health, WIA Adyar, Apollo Chennai, KKCTH, SRMS, CMC Vellore. We estimate that 39% of children of Tamil Nadu with cancer are not getting diagnosed or treated.
We have had a presence in Tamil Nadu Since 2012. Since 2018 our National Outreach and South India teams have mapped and identified 36 hospitals treating childhood cancer where they will work over the next 5 years. The state has major treating centres like the Institute of Child Health, WIA Adyar, Apollo Chennai, KKCTH, SRMC, CMC Vellore. Over the next five years, we plan to work with all the stakeholders to create a Hubs-and-Spokes or Shared Care model for the state with the support of the government of Tamil Nadu to ensure that we reach all children in need. We want to take the 'Access' percentage from 61% to 100%. With this MoU in place, we can work closely with the government. We aim to work with other partners and state players including Govt, 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 Tamil Nadu, key among who have been HDFC Life and Access HealthCare.
We have had a presence in Tamil Nadu Since 2012. Since 2018 our National Outreach and South India teams have mapped and identified 36 hospitals treating childhood cancer where they will work over the next 5 years. The state has major treating centres like the Institute of Child Health, WIA Adyar, Apollo Chennai, KKCTH, SRMC, CMC Vellore. Over the next five years, we plan to work with all the stakeholders to create a Hubs-and-Spokes or Shared Care model for the state with the support of the government of Tamil Nadu to ensure that we reach all children in need. We want to take the 'Access' percentage from 61% to 100%. With this MoU in place, we can work closely with the government. We aim to work with other partners and state players including Govt, 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 Tamil Nadu, key among who have been HDFC Life and Access HealthCare.
This is the 4th state-level MoU that CanKids has signed after Punjab in September 2017, Maharashtra in February 2019, and West Bengal in August 2020.