“Every child deserves an equal chance.” Inside CHOC's work to support children and teenagers with cancer in South Africa

In South Africa, a childhood cancer diagnosis places immense emotional, financial, and logistical strain on families, particularly those who must travel long distances to access specialized care. While childhood cancer survival rates in low- and middle-income countries remain lower than in high-income nations, evidence shows that early diagnosis, access to treatment, and continuity of care can significantly improve outcomes.

CHOC addresses these barriers by providing holistic, family-centred support that helps children and teenagers remain close to treatment and families stay the course throughout care. Our visit began at one of CHOC's accommodation facilities, where the team met CHOC CEO Hedley Lewis, alongside members of the psychosocial support team, including social workers and CHOC staff. These homes are located near pediatric oncology units and offer families a safe, welcoming “home away from home” during lengthy treatment periods. CHOC's support is from diagnosis through treatment, reintegration, or bereavement care, and includes psychosocial counselling, peer support, and caregiver education. The families are supported to understand the diagnosis and treatment in age-appropriate ways, helping restore dignity during an overwhelming experience.

A tour of the Cape Town house highlighted how this space really is a "home away from home." One of several CHOC Houses nationwide, the facility provides free accommodation, nutritious meals, and transport assistance, often for extended periods of time, ensuring families can remain close to treatment centers. Later that day, the team visited the Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, where CHOC places social workers for seamless support from diagnosis onward. We met Professor Marc Hendricks, Head of the Haematology Oncology Service at the University of Cape Town. While medical resources may differ across the world, he emphasized that the external factors influencing treatment such as transport, accommodation, and psychosocial support remain the main challenges that CHOC helps address in South Africa.

CHOC’s work shows that improving childhood cancer outcomes requires more than medicine alone. As global awareness of childhood cancer grows, CHOC’s holistic support model stands as a beacon of hope, strengthening the conditions that allows vulnerable children, teenagers and their families to move from uncertainty toward healing.

“We’re thankful to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation team for visiting CHOC, for engaging so meaningfully with our team, and for learning more about CHOC and its impact. Your generous donation helps strengthen our family-centred, holistic support for children and teenagers with cancer, and their families along the treatment journey,” said CHOC CEO Hedley Lewis.

“We saw the power of community-driven, compassionate care and the critical importance of supporting organizations like CHOC,” said SNF Senior Program Officer Ange Munyakazi. “On this International Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, we are reminded that every child deserves an equal chance to survive and to thrive no matter where they are born.”