Postal stamp to create awareness about childhood cancer launched

Ahmedabad: India Post and Apollo Cancer Centres on Wednesday launched a postal stamp to spread awareness about childhood cancer and benefits of early diagnosis.

Under the 'Stamp Out Childhood Cancer' campaign, as many as 60,000 stamps will be distributed among common people, doctors, patients and their relatives to spread awareness about cancer among children, said Suchita Joshi, Postmaster General of Ahmedabad Headquarter Region at the unveiling event.

"The launch of the Stamp Out Childhood Cancer campaign through postage stamps is a powerful step forward in the global battle against childhood cancer. We can save more lives if people become more aware. Even if you don't use the stamp to send a letter, just frame it or paste it on a greeting card and give it to someone you know" said Joshi.

She was accompanied by Lt General Velu Nair, Chief Consultant, Haemato-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Apollo Cancer Centres, Ahmedabad.

According to Nair, childhood cancer is diagnosed in around 150 children per million in the country every year and it is both preventable and treatable. The cure rate is nearly 95 per cent in children aged 2 to 10 years.

"For better results, it is good to have early detection. If a child was suffering from fever for over a month and other tests for dengue or malaria came negative, then the doctor must understand that it's not a normal fever. Just like the medical fraternity, awareness among common people about such symptoms is also crucial," said Nair.

He added that thanks to the advancements in the medical field in recent times, the mortality rate in childhood cancer cases has dropped nearly 70 per cent.