The Fight for Equal Care with Dr. Aziza Shad [Video]

“Today, more than 80% of the children who are diagnosed with a childhood cancer survive in the United States and in other Western countries where resources are available, where diagnostic technology is available, where all these, what should I say, where all these support mechanisms are available to get them better. But take one step into Africa, and for example, Ethiopia.

Aransas Savas (21:26.104)
Mm-hmm.

Dr. Aziza Shad (21:32.472)
the country where I have focused my efforts for the last 10 years. When we moved there 10 years ago, survival was way below 20%. Cancer was not a priority. Pediatric cancer is still not a priority for many low and middle income countries. Therefore, if you compare survival, where we talk about more than 80% survival and actually close to 100% survival for certain selected cancers in children, and these children go on to live

normal productive lives, it is less than 20% in many parts of the world even today. In Ethiopia, where close to maybe 12,000 to 15,000 children get diagnosed with pediatric cancer a year, thanks to the efforts of our ASLAND project, which I can talk about in a little bit, and the awareness for pediatric cancer.

that is now available in Ethiopia, that is everywhere in Ethiopia. Maybe 3,000 children make it to treatment. That means 12,000 children are still not getting to the centers where they can be treated. They probably die undiagnosed. They probably go to local healthcare workers who may not really recognize how pediatric cancer presents. And those are the children who deserve to get the same care.

I’ve always believed that it should never be a place of birth that should define the treatment or care you receive for cancer. That color, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, educational level, should never matter because a child is a child no matter where he’s born or where he lives. And every child should have the same equal right.”

Dr. Aziza Shad (@aziza.shad) is on a mission to bring life-saving pediatric cancer care to kids in low-income countries like Ethiopia, where shockingly less than 20% survive. Every child deserves equal access to treatment, no matter where they’re born. Please listen to this powerful episode on my Substack – https://www.theuplifterspodcast.com/p/dr-aziza-shad-is-humanizing-healthcare?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader4, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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