PZ Cussons Ghana Limited has launched the second edition of its ‘Because We Care’ campaign to create awareness on childhood cancers in Ghana while providing financial support to affected but needy children.
In partnership with the Lions Club International District 418-Ghana, Ghana Medical Association, Media General and Joy FM, the campaign is dubbed ‘Give 10p, Give Hope’, with the aim of donating GH¢10 pesewas for every bottle of Camel Antiseptic sold between September 10, 2021 to January 2022.
In the first edition, which ran in 2020, the brand raised GH¢250,000 by donating an amount for every bottle of Camel Antiseptic Liquid purchased. The amount raised was made available to patients undergoing treatment at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, and part of the amount has also been set aside for renovation of the Paediatric Oncology Unit at Korle Bu.
This year, Camel seeks to raise a minimum amount of GH¢250,000 to support the diagnosis and treatment of childhood cancer in Ghana.
Present at the launch was the Deputy Minister for Health, Mahama Asei Seini, who noted that most childhood cancers in the country are detected and diagnosed at a very late stage of the disease. Mr. Seini said one major challenge that accounts for the late presentation of childhood cancers to health facilities is the high cost of treatment, which is beyond the reach of parents and relatives of affected children.
He therefore applauded PZ Cussons for their initiative toward saving the lives of these children, and urged other corporate bodies to emulate the example demonstrated by PZ Cussons to improve health care in general among children in the country.
According to the minister, the Ministry of Health has reviewed the Non-Communicable Diseases policy, and Cancer Care including childhood cancers has been prioritised in the reviewed policy to address the care continuum in a comprehensive manner, including addressing cost of treatment for childhood cancers – possibly under the NHIS.
“The Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Health Organisation is in the process of developing Treatment Guidelines and Protocols for the management of childhood cancers. Human Resource capacity development in Paediatric oncology is ongoing at the various local colleges to train more health workforces that will be decentralised to improve access to early detection and diagnosis of childhood cancers,” he assured.
Mr. Asei Seini noted that the Ministry of Health, development partners and the private sector are collaborating in interventions that will improve management of childhood cancers, “and we urge parents and relatives to be more vigilant and observe their children closely and continuously, and seek medical care as soon as they observe any abnormality on any part of the body of their children for early detection and diagnosis of childhood diseases”.
In her address, Regional Head of Category and Brands at PZ Cussons, Hafsa Arthur, noted that in Ghana it is estimated 1,200 cases of childhood cancer are expected each year – with only 300-400 cases diagnosed. This, she said, is mostly due to financial challenges and lack of knowledge on early warning signs.
“This insight has propelled the Camel ‘Because We Care’ CSR initiative. Childhood cancer, if detected early, can be treated and cured; hence, the campaign intends to support this worthy cause by creating awareness on the early warning signs of childhood cancer and providing financial assistance to families who apply for the initiative,” she said.
Camel Antiseptic through this initiative has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the brand’s core essence of ‘Say Yes to Life’ is fulfilled.
She encouraged family members of children who need some support from the fund to apply by visiting the web page, or through the Camel Antiseptic social media pages or get referrals from doctors in charge of their treatment.
About Camel Antiseptic
PZ Cussons is a leading manufacturer of personal and homecare products all over the world. Camel Antiseptic is its flagship brand with an over-45% market share. It is an antiseptic liquid with high efficacy that kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria, and has been endorsed by the Ghana Medical Association.
