The project which has ben carried out for the last 19 years, aims to raise awareness of the world public opinion about leukemia, which is the most common type of cancer in childhood, and also to raise awareness of the problems faced by children and their families. The International Week for Children with Leukemia takes place with the participation of world countries under the leadership of LÖSEV, hosted by Turkey every year on the last week of May.
SAME FATE, SEPARATE GEOGRAPHY
LÖSEV said, “Today, while children with leukemia from various countries who share the same fate and have experienced the same difficulties visit our country and show a great example of solidarity, on the other hand, we increase social awareness by emphasizing that leukemia is a preventable and treatable disease. In this way, we enable studies to express the common problems of children with leukemia and their families on a global platform and to generate permanent solutions. Unfortunately, this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we cannot physically perform activities and get together. However, we want to make an important call on behalf of the children with leukemia, who are the most vulnerable and at-risk against the virus during the pandemic process” in the written statement regarding the issue.
VACCINES FIRST FOR THE LIVES OF THE CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA
In the statement which emphasizes that the life-threatening risks of the children with leukemia, whose immune system is already extremely fragile due to the intensive treatments applied, increased during the pandemic process, also the following statements are made:
“The most common age of leukemia is between the ages of 2 and 8. Parents of children in this age group are mostly between the ages of 25 and 35. Covid-19 vaccination rates are approximately 4.7% in the world; In Turkey, although 20.6 % of the population's vaccination process is completed, the age range of 2 - 8's vaccination is still below 0.049 % and the age range of 25 - 35 is below 6.8 %. The life-threatening risks of the children with leukemia, whose immune system is already extremely fragile due to the intensive treatments applied, increases. As LÖSEV, we raise our voice on the 20th International Week of Children with Leukemia: The vaccination of more than 4000 children with leukemia in Turkey; and more than 350.000 each year in the whole world, their families, and health and support service personnel who has been working in this field against COVID-19 virus should be completed immediately. We hope to celebrate ‘International Week for Children with Leukemia’ together with enthusiasm in a world without Covid.”