Paraguay is a South American country with a population of 5.5 Mio. The country which is characterized by a continuous instable political situation, suffers from a weak economy and a consequently very poor socio-economical situation with growth problems in many sectors, including those of education and public health.

The health service does not have access to sufficient funds to buy chemotherapy drugs, which therefore must be paid for by families who rarely have the means to support the therapy.

Each year about 140 new cases of childhood cancer are diagnosed, and the mortality rate is very high (although it is impossible to collect exact data). This is partly due to abandonment of treatment because of the difficult social-economic conditions of the family, but it is also caused by the high incidence of infections in medical structures where it is difficult to respect the hygienic and sanitary norms necessary to cure patients affected by onco-haematological diseases.

Because of this situation, we feel that the priorities of the scientific community of developed countries must include the absolute necessity of sponsoring programs in paediatric oncology in countries with little resources. Our project "A Bridge for Life" was founded in 1999, inspired by an idea of Prof. Fausta Massola, at that time director of the Pediatric Oncology Clinic of the Modena Hospital in Italy. The object of this project is to transfer to underdeveloped countries the most recent medical and scientific knowledge available, creating at the same time the social conditions necessary to give these little patients a better probability of being cured of their illness and assist their families through this period.

The aims of the project:

   -  Medical training;

   -  Supplying of medical equipment;

   -  Renovation of the hospital environment;

   -  Concrete aid to the families of the sick children (construction of a community home for the families);

   -  Financing for chemotherapy treatment (long distance aid)

Activities

The Paraguay project took off in September 1999 with the arrival of a pediatrician at the Modena Hospital Pediatric Oncohematology Clinic for a period of formation that lasted two years, dedicated to the acquisition from a medical team of all methods currently used in the cure of childhood cancer patients in Italy.

At the same time that this training of health operators was going on, funding was provided for the acquisition of hospital furnishings for the day-hospital of the "Hospital de Clinicas" of Asuncion. In February 2001 we contributed to the construction of the "Hotel-Home Fausta Massola" which offers hospitality to the families of sick children who live far from this center of therapy.

In May 2002, ASEOP provided hospitality to a second doctor from the Hospital General Pediatrico "Ninos de Acosta Nu" of Asuncion, for a medical-scientific exchange program involving the Transfusion Service of the Modena Hospital with the aim to organize a blood donors centre in Paraguay in collaboration with AVIS (the Italian blood donors association).

In November of the same year, hospitality was provided for both a surgeon and a nurse to acquire specific training in the pediatric oncohematology field. In 2003 a second nurse arrived for a training here in Italy for one month followed by another paediatrician in 2004

In March 2002 and 2003 we sent a container of chocolate Easter eggs to MITAI, for a promotion and fund raising campaign, hoping to improve the financial independence of the parents' association. Then, a second container was sent, carrying a third, last generation, CAT scanner (no longer used by the Institute of Biomedical Research at Empoli), together with a used ambulance donated by the Mirandola Health Care District, a sterilizer, two computers and various sanitary material.

2002 marks the foundation of MITAI, a parents' organization that operates in Asuncion with the same aims of our association; in this way another important stepping stone was laid down.  MITAI began its activity with a fund raising campaign, selling the chocolate Easter eggs provided by ASEOP, which, together with a contribution from the Modena Town Council, served to finance the chemotherapy treatment of several children.

Due to the ever growing number of children with cancer admitted to the General Pediatric Hospital "Ninos de Acosta Nu" the building had to be enlarged. We helped in the funding of a larger the Paediatric Oncohematology Ward, which was inaugurated in our presence in January 2003 during our visit to Paraguay.

In that occasion the President of ASEOP met with the new Health Minister, Jos� Mayans, with the General director of the Pediatric General Hospital "Ninos de Acosta Nu", Pedro Guanes, with whom we are currently collaborating, and with the members of the new parents' association MITAI, with whom we are trying to create a strong bond in order to help in bettering the social conditions of the families during their childrens' period of therapy.

ASEOP wishes to underline the importance of creating a data bank as soon as possible, in order to monitor the results of all of the activities that have to do with curing the children.

Towards the end of the year 2003, we activated a new program of long distance aid for the financing of chemotherapy treatment for children with leukaemia, and we have already found 25 private sponsors and schools.

Lastly, the volunteer association "La nostra Mirandola", which collaborated in this project, has financed the construction of a community home in the hospital area, to offer hospitality to the families and the children undergoing therapy at the hospital. This guest house will soon be opened.

It is our hope that our project with Paraguay "A Bridge to Life" will give us together with other collaborating organizations and institutions the possibility to expand the benefits of scientific progress to these countries, activating aid programs for the promotion of the right to health of all children in the third world countries who are living the drama of cancer.

Valeria Casadio

ASEOP Onlus, Modena, Italy