On Friday night, a lighting occasion of the Presidential Palace happened within the context of “Golden September”, a month of consciousness for childhood and adolescent most cancers.
In her greeting on the occasion, the Deputy Minister for European Affairs Marilena Rauna emphasised that the participation within the “Golden September” for childhood most cancers symbolizes the dedication, stubbornness, dedication and undivided dedication of the Authorities to tirelessly proceed the combat in opposition to childhood most cancers.
“For all of the households and kids who on the trail of life had been examined onerous, lived the martyrdom agony, the torturous uncertainty that accompanies most cancers, which violently turns our lives the wrong way up. We see you. We stand by you, as a State, as a Authorities” underlined Mrs. Rauna, stressing that “no little one needs to be a hero preventing most cancers. Our kids need to expertise the carelessness and innocence of their childhood. They need to be kids” however “they unwittingly grow to be – and with them their households – our heroes, our beacons”.
The Deputy Minister famous that the occasion is an initiative of the Pancypriot Affiliation of Mother and father and Pals of the Pediatric Oncology Unit of Makarios Hospital, a voluntary group that may be a image of solidarity and hope for sick kids and their households. “Your dedication and motion contribute considerably to the development of the remedy and the standard of lifetime of each kids who’re sick and people who have recovered” he stated to the representatives and members of the Affiliation.
He then famous that childhood most cancers is an unimaginably onerous check for households and that regardless of the medical progress that’s being made, this combat stays extraordinarily troublesome. “The incidence of the illness is growing by 0.6% yearly. Within the case of uncommon varieties of childhood most cancers, further challenges are offered, as analysis is restricted and coverings are sometimes insufficient,” he stated, indicating that for this reason it’s essential to strengthen scientific analysis and promote modern approaches so as to discover efficient remedies.
He identified that supporting the kids and the household on a psychological and social stage is simply as vital because the remedy of the illness. “It’s the hand, the embrace of hope and braveness” he famous.
And he continued by saying that “each initiative like tonight reminds us of the ability of solidarity, but additionally of the necessity to combat for higher remedies for adolescent and childhood most cancers” and assuring the Authorities's dedication to offering the absolute best remedy, care and assist for kids and their mother and father.
He additionally reminded that the well being sector is a key precedence of the administration of Nikos Christodoulidis. “We all know that there’s a lot that must be performed. Our objective isn’t solely to make sure, but additionally to additional strengthen the providers provided for probably the most fundamental good of life” he stated, explaining that on this context, the Authorities implements insurance policies aimed toward offering substantial and efficient assist to sufferers and their households.
“We’re investing within the upgrading of well being providers, selling early analysis and entry to modern remedies, whereas the development of a brand new Pediatric Oncology Middle with glorious specs is beneath examine to supply even higher nursing providers,” he burdened.
Noting that the Pediatric Oncology-Pediatric Hematology Clinic on the public Archbishop Makarios III Nicosia Hospital is the one tertiary care heart for kids and adolescents affected by most cancers and leukemia in Cyprus, Ms. Rauna recalled that in instances the place there’s a want for remedies that aren’t provided in in our nation, the state undertakes to ship sick kids to specialised college facilities overseas, indicating that this course of constitutes an enormous further problem for households, not solely emotional, but additionally monetary.
And he emphasised that the Authorities's new plan to subsidize journey, lodging and meals bills for sufferers and accompanying sufferers overseas adopted by the Council of Ministers in March 2024 goals to alleviate households of this further monetary burden, indicating that the protection of bills considerations your entire length of the affected person's and a companion's keep overseas, in addition to journey bills, whereas within the case of minor sufferers, there are not any earnings standards for the grant of air ticket bills and companion's lodging/boarding.
He then referred to Cyprus's participation in constructing the European Well being Union, inside which all EU international locations work collectively, amongst different issues, to enhance prevention, remedy and after-care for ailments equivalent to most cancers.
“Most cancers is without doubt one of the greatest well being challenges in Europe, and the EU is dedicated to turning the tide on most cancers by way of the bold European Plan to Battle Most cancers,” he stated, indicating that the plan is without doubt one of the most complete methods on the planet to cope with most cancers and consists of actions equivalent to most cancers prevention, early analysis and detection, equal entry to analysis and remedy, with the creation of the primary community of Built-in Most cancers Remedy Facilities by 2025, which is able to guarantee entry to high-quality look after all, in addition to enhancing the standard of lifetime of most cancers sufferers and survivors, actions which are already bringing outcomes.
Marilena Rauna famous that as Cyprus will assume the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the second time in January 2026, the Authorities's intention is to concentrate on areas which are of nice significance within the lives of residents, with the well being sector and the efficient combat in opposition to most cancers to be one in every of these areas. “It’s a precedence for us,” he stated characteristically.
He concluded that “Golden September” sends a robust message that this wrestle is a typical one. “It considerations us all. Considering of all these households for whom September won’t ever be the identical. We stand by you, by your kids, who’re kids of all of us, with willpower and hope. We share and be a part of our voice and our forces for a future with out most cancers, for all kids. Till one turns into none” he concluded.
