ICCD organiser Geoff Thaxter visited ICCCPO member ASHIC, between 14 and17 February 2003 to support their International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) event. ASHIC is run by Salma Choudhury, founder, whose own child Ashiq died from cancer. 

In Bangladesh there is a population of 130m people. The average income is $320 per year. Some 5,000 children are estimated to get cancer each year, not dissimilar to other countries in ratio. There are only 3 hospitals, all in Dhaka, geared to treating children with cancer - some 26 beds in all.

Perhaps only 5% get treatment. Many of these children are admitted at the hospital at an advanced stage of the disease, when the cancer is incurable. For the others their parents face the problems of paying for treatment, assuming drugs can be made available. 

Despite the problems, people are dedicated to helping these children. Doctors, try to do their best in difficult circumstances. ASHIC also helps to deal with the social, emotional and practical issues of cancer. 

ASHIC is running a few projects like Play Centre at hospitals, monthly outing programs and patients' services for children who are undergoing treatment such as counselling of parents, support for medicine financial, transportation, blood collection, contact doctors, food etc. One of the project started by ASHIC was to create a "Shelter". This is an accommodation facility for cancer children and their families.  

Imagine having to take your child 200 miles to a hospital, to be told that the child has cancer. And that the treatment will take 12 months and cost 3 year's family income. This is the situation that faces many of these families. Many turn around, go home, and never return. The child is almost certain to face a painful death.
ASHIC's Shelter helps to address this problem by providing families with a place where they can stay, free of charge, while their child is treated. The home is basic, but can house 10 families, and provides sleeping accommodation, cooking and washing facilities, a living area and equipment to keep families occupied. ASHIC also arrange for regular visits by doctors and a weekly counselling session.

The doctors now report that many more families complete the treatment because they have somewhere close to the hospitals to stay. This improves the chance of survival.  

The shelter is for also important in helping families to bond and support each other. The families all face similar emotional and practical circumstances and so are able to give support to each other.  

Despite the good that ASHIC does, it needs help. The shelter costs around $850 a month to run. This is very little in developed countries but a lot in Bangladesh. Funding is found from month to month, often from the pockets of the founders. 

While Geoff was in Dhaka, he met with all ten families currently staying at the shelter. For one family with an only child, they were told on the International Childhood Cancer Day, that treatment would no longer help their child. The following day this family left to go back home, uncertain of the future, except that their child would soon die. 
There is no palliative care - pain relief and emotional support available in developed countries to help patients to have quality of life in the time they have left. For this family, and tens of thousands others each year, there is only the prospect of a painful death. This adds to the burden parents will always carry with them.  

It is too late for this family. If the ICCD can raise awareness and get action, it will not be too late for others that follow. If you would like to know more about ASHIC, or help, please contact Salma Choudhury at e-mail: ashic@citecho.net