Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke-Senior Health Reporter
ZIMBABWE has reduced the time it takes to diagnose childhood cancers from as long as three months to a maximum of two weeks, following the rollout of National Childhood Cancer Guidelines aimed at accelerating treatment and improving survival rates.
The guidelines, launched last year, have strengthened coordination among specialists and streamlined diagnostic processes, allowing children to begin life-saving treatment much earlier.
Speaking at International Childhood Cancer Day commemorations held in Harare last Friday, paediatric oncologist and Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (GICC) Zimbabwe focal person Dr Loice Hlatywayo said the reforms had transformed care delivery for six priority childhood cancers.
“We launched the National Childhood Cancer Guidelines for six index cancers that are easier to diagnose and treat and were going to give a great impact if managed properly,” she said.
“Before, services were fragmented, results could take two or three months to come back.
“Now there is greater communication, we have a multidisciplinary team and we are getting our results within a maximum of two weeks. Then we can start treatment, send the patient to surgery and start radiotherapy at the appropriate time. This has been a great milestone.”
The guidelines align with the World Health Organisation Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer (WHO-GICC), which seeks to increase childhood cancer survival rates in Africa to 60 percent by 2030.
Zimbabwe became a focal country under the initiative in 2023.
The WHO-GICC supports countries through 10 CureAll technical packages that help define national standards for six index cancers: acute leukaemia, Burkitt lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, low-grade glioma, Wilms tumour and retinoblastoma.
Globally, an estimated 400 000 children develop cancer each year, with 90 percent living in low- and middle-income countries.
In Zimbabwe, the National Cancer Registry recorded 293 childhood cancer cases in 2018, accounting for 3,7 percent of all cancers.
The most common types include acute leukaemia, renal tumours, retinoblastoma, lymphoma, soft tissue sarcomas and bone tumours.
Dr Hlatywayo said early diagnosis remains critical.
“If childhood cancers are diagnosed early and appropriate treatment is given, up to 80 percent can be cured. But in low- and middle-income countries survival is closer to 20 percent because of late diagnosis, limited awareness and resource constraints. That is the gap we are trying to close,” she said.
Since joining the WHO initiative, Zimbabwe has integrated childhood cancers into the national cancer control plan and increased training for paediatric oncologists and oncology nurses.
Improved awareness has also led to increased case detection.
“When I came back from training, we only saw three brain tumour cases in a year. Last year we saw 35.
“That shows families now know there is a service at Parirenyatwa (Group of Hospitals) and are seeking help earlier,” she said.
However, she noted that rising case numbers are placing pressure on limited resources, particularly expensive chemotherapy drugs, diagnostic imaging and theatre supplies.
“We sometimes diagnose three or four new leukaemia cases every week, and some of the most effective drugs cost between US$500 and US$700 per vial,” she said.
“To reach the 60 percent survival target by 2030, we need stronger systems and more partners supporting medicines and diagnostics.”
Childhood cancer survivors shared testimonies highlighting the importance of early detection.
Praise Masomere (20) was diagnosed with acute leukaemia in 2016 at the age of nine, after complications following what was initially thought to be a routine hernia operation.
“I started bleeding uncontrollably from my nose and gums, and that’s when the doctors realised something was wrong. After tests, they told me it was leukaemia. I am grateful they picked it up early because it gave me a chance to start treatment straight away,” she said.
She underwent months of treatment and is now in remission, preparing to begin nurse training in September.
“It was not an easy journey, but early diagnosis helped me get help in time. With support from my parents, family and friends, I managed to beat cancer. I took my medication religiously and followed everything the doctors told me,” she said.
World Health Organisation Zimbabwe Representative Dr Desta Tiruneh, represented at the event by disease prevention and control technical lead Dr Trevor Kanyowa, said childhood cancer remains a growing public health emergency.
“Childhood cancer is no longer a silent crisis in Zimbabwe; it is a growing public health emergency that demands urgent, equitable and sustained action. If diagnosed early and treated appropriately, most childhood cancers can be cured, so our focus must be early detection, access to treatment and reducing treatment abandonment,” he said.
He noted that expanded services at Parirenyatwa Hospital and support from KidzCan Zimbabwe had improved access to medicines and psychosocial care, but shortages of specialists, radiotherapy services and essential drugs continued to affect outcomes.
“We must invest in what works: early diagnosis, reliable access to essential medicines, strengthened surgical and radiotherapy capacity, and integration of palliative care from the time of diagnosis. We must measure progress not by strategies written, but by children diagnosed early, patients treated timeously, financial hardship reduced, and lives saved,” he said.
In a solidarity message, Childhood Cancer International president Mr Rodney Wong commended Zimbabwe for aligning national efforts with global targets.
“Achieving at least a 60 percent survival rate by 2030 is not just a statistic, it is a promise to children and families. Survival requires systems, partnerships and courageous leadership, and Zimbabwe is demonstrating that change is possible,” he said.
This year’s International Childhood Cancer Day was held under the theme “Demonstrating impact: from challenge to change”, reflecting Zimbabwe’s shift towards faster, more coordinated and accessible childhood cancer care.
