ICCD: Akanimo Cancer Foundation Takes Childhood Cancer Awareness to Churches Nationwide

Sunday Ehigiator

The Akanimo Cancer Foundation (ACF) has expanded its childhood cancer awareness campaign by taking sensitisation efforts to churches across Nigeria to commemorate International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) 2026.

The foundation said the initiative was designed to leverage the strong influence of faith institutions in shaping healthcare decisions among Nigerian families, noting the 2026 campaign significantly increased outreach locations from six in 2025 to nine cities and 11 locations nationwide.

The awareness activities were conducted across multiple Christian denominations in Uyo, Calabar, Bonny, Aba, Enugu, Ibadan, Lagos, Kano and Abuja.

Founder and Executive Director of the foundation, Idara Ekanem, said the decision to collaborate with religious organisations was deliberate and culturally relevant.

“In Nigeria, religion and medicine are deeply intertwined in the minds of the average citizen. For many families, the church is the first place they turn to when a child is ill. We are not seeking to replace faith; we are seeking to align faith with science so that children can receive timely, life-saving medical care,” she said.

The foundation noted that childhood cancer remains widely misunderstood in many parts of the country, particularly in rural and semi-urban communities, where symptoms are sometimes attributed to spiritual causes or superstition.

According to ACF, such misconceptions often lead to delayed diagnosis, which contributes to poor survival outcomes among affected children.

During the church-based engagements, healthcare professionals and trained advocates educated worshippers on early warning signs of childhood cancer, including persistent fever, unexplained swelling, bone pain, white eye reflex, sudden weight loss and prolonged fatigue.

The foundation emphasised that early detection significantly improves treatment success and survival rates.

ACF said its awareness strategy has already shown measurable results.

The foundation disclosed that its campaigns conducted across six states in 2024 resulted in an average 80 per cent increase in paediatric hospital visits in participating teaching hospitals after sensitisation exercises.

It added that it has also strengthened interventions in the childhood cancer space through the hosting of Nigeria’s first National Childhood Cancer Symposium in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, expansion of its patient treatment programme from five teaching hospitals in 2025 to eight hospitals across major geopolitical zones, as well as advocacy, research and rural screening initiatives.

The foundation stressed that the 2026 church outreach campaign reinforces the need for communities to integrate faith with medical action when managing childhood illnesses.

“Faith without action can cost lives. Our goal is to empower parents with knowledge so that when they pray, they also act; by seeking medical evaluation early,” the foundation said.

ACF called on religious leaders, healthcare professionals, community stakeholders and the public to support efforts aimed at promoting early diagnosis and prompt medical intervention for children showing signs of cancer.