A NATIONWIDE campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer and social support to affected families continues next month.
The ‘Kids Are Gold’, now in its 12th edition, aims to educate people about the disease, its symptoms and the importance of early detection.
The drive – part of the Future Youth Society’s Smile initiative – will also seek to spread hope among families of children suffering from cancer and help them fight the disease with a smile.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, during which a gold ribbon is worn to mark the annual international initiative aimed at raising support, funding and awareness of the disease and its impact on sufferers and their families.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, with a gold ribbon worn to mark the annual international initiative
Preparations for the latest edition got underway with a co-ordination meeting between members of the Smile initiative and a group of strategic partners.
“The discussions highlighted ways to enhance the campaign’s impact, with particular emphasis on expanding partnerships with new organisations and introducing creative mechanisms to raise awareness about childhood cancer,” said a society statement yesterday.
Society chairman Sabah Al Zayani said that the 12th edition represents a significant milestone in celebrating the legacy that ‘Smile’ has established over more than a decade, and explained that this edition will not only spread awareness but will also pay tribute to the invaluable efforts of volunteers, partners and supporters who have contributed to the campaign’s success over the years.
Mr Al Zayani
“The campaign will offer the public reliable guidance on supporting children through their treatment journey, with particular emphasis on the vital importance of mental health for both patients and their families, positioning it as a trusted source of accurate and meaningful information,” he added.
This time round, innovative and non-traditional events will be introduced, with a special focus on the more effective use of social media platforms in order to reach a wider audience.
The goal is to build on the achievements of past editions while creating a deeper and more comprehensive impact within Bahraini society.
In the past, ‘Smile’ has successfully collaborated with private sector and government entities, particularly the Health Ministry and Government Hospitals, as well as the Social Development Ministry.
The 11th edition was very successful, with creative ideas and events receiving significant engagement from different segments of Bahraini society.
It celebrated the recovery of more than 45 children from cancer, a moment that was widely cherished by the community.
Children who beat the disease are known as ‘Smile Heroes’ who are honoured, along with their parents, with commemorative shields at a ceremony.
Earlier this year, the society launched ‘Smile Shop’, a creative platform to support children with cancer and to sell a variety of merchandise which include bags, bottles, books and mugs, carrying striking designs by Bahraini artists, with 80 per cent of the proceeds from the sales going towards the cause.
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
According to a latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report, globally more than 400,000 children and adolescents aged until 19 years are diagnosed with cancer every year.
The latest Global Cancer Observatory estimates for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region show that there were about 36,000 new cases of paediatric cancers and 16,500 deaths in 2022.
&uuid=(email))