Pediatric Oncology in Africa: A Sanofi Espoir Foundation Partnership

May 2, 2017 11:40 AM ET

From April 5-8, Sanofi will participate in the 12th Continental Congress of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), organized this year on the African continent, in Morocco.

This meeting represents an important opportunity for health professionals and companies to meet and exchange on the issue of access to care in Africa.

The Sanofi Espoir Foundation will present its 10-year commitment to fighting childhood cancer through its "My Child Matters" program.

Pediatric cancers are a major health challenge: each year, 300,000 children and adolescents worldwide are diagnosed with cancer. About 80% live in resource-poor countries, where cure rates average 40% and less than 20% in some sub-Saharan African countries. For the 20% of cancers in developed countries, cure rates are above 80%.

The "My Child Matters" program exists in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and South America.

It has made remarkable progress on the ground in the management of pediatric cancers. Part of the awareness effort is focused on the training of health professionals, such as the training program "Palliative care and pain in pediatrics," in partnership with the Franco-African Group of Pediatric Oncology (GFAOP).