"Knowledge and early detection of cancer in children must be improved in order to increase the life expectancy of patients. A healthy lifestyle must also be adopted from an early age so that children's nutritional needs are fulfilled," she said in a written statement received here on Monday.
Everyone must consistently collaborate in efforts to push for higher life expectancy of children diagnosed with cancer, she added.
Moerdijat referred to data from the National Association of Pediatrics (IDAI), which showed that in 2022, as many as 1,821 children were recorded as cancer patients and received treatment at 12 big hospitals in Indonesia.
Citing the data, she said that children can be at risk of contracting some types of cancer because of certain combinations of genes received from parents. However, if the disease is detected early and treated immediately, the life expectancy of patients can increase.
Hence, the data established by the association must be followed up with efforts from the public and the stakeholders to resolve the issue.
Moerdijat said that the number of child cancer patients, which almost reached two thousand in 2022, must become a matter of concern for everyone in the country so that actual efforts can be made to consistently bring down this number.
The government and the public must pursue good collaboration to develop an early detection system as a means to prevent the rampant growth of some diseases in kids, cancer included, she added.
People must also pay attention to some aspects of childhood cancer treatment, such as the number of medical staff as well as the quality of medical facilities.
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Translator: Tri Meilani A, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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