Kinshasa, September 27th, 2026 (CPA).- Early detection of childhood cancer was advocated Sunday in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), during a humanitarian festival dubbed “September in Gold,” dedicated to raising awareness about the disease and fundraising to assist victims.
“We are here to raise awareness and inform the public about childhood cancer and mobilize funds to support children in oncology units, as there are only two such units in the country, in Lubumbashi and Kinshasa. Cancer is curable; it is not a fatality. If detected early, the chances of recovery are 95%,” said Guy-André Mandjumba, Provincial Coordinator of the Noah Foundation in Greater Katanga. He said the foundation’s initiative aims to mobilize the population, healthcare workers and authorities to promote collective awareness. “We realized that childhood cancer is a real problem affecting society. In the DRC, there is an information gap; the population is not sufficiently informed. If efforts are not made to stop the spread of this problem, in 15 to 20 years the country will be overwhelmed by childhood cancer,” he added.
Warning signs to watch for
The coordinator listed several warning signs that should prompt parents to seek medical attention quickly, including persistent fever, unexplained crying, deterioration of general health, weight loss, the appearance of red spots on the skin, swollen lymph nodes and visual disturbances, a common symptom of retinoblastoma, one of the five most common childhood cancers in the DRC, alongside leukemia, nephroblastoma and lymphomas. Dr. Mandjumba also called for the establishment of a solidarity pharmacy supplying anticancer medicines and a parents’ home to accommodate families coming from remote areas, recalling that the cost of a CT scan or chemotherapy remains unaffordable for the majority of the population.
Founded in October 2018 by Joly Pyame after her son Noah contracted leukemia, the Noah Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to combating childhood cancer. Its objectives include supporting sick children, providing psychological and material assistance to parents, training healthcare workers and raising awareness. Its headquarters are located in Belgium and the DRC, with three branches in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and eastern DRC, in North Kivu. The foundation advocates for the integration of childhood cancer control into the national healthcare program.