Background and Aims

COVID-19 epidemic led to a sharp surge and shortages in the requirement of personal protection equipment (PPE) and sanitization supplies at pediatric oncology units centers across. This affected morale and safety of health workers and in some centers compromised delivery of optimal healthcare. Cankids, a national society for change in childhood cancer that strives to provide holistic care and support to in children and families coping with childhood cancer in India, stepped in to overcome this challenge.

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of this initiative over a 5-month period.

Methods

In the time period from April-August 2020, Cankids received requests for PPE, masks and sanitization supplies from 35 units treating childhood cancer across India. The organization reached out to the manufacturers and stockists to meet the demand at discounted tariffs. The delivery to the centers was achieved by road, rail and air transport with the assistance of Airport Authority of India, Indian railways, and various courier services. Members of parents support group were mobilized to produce over 10,000 handmade cloth masks for distribution to parents and patients at various centers. Funds for this initiative were raised through crowd funding.

Results

With the efforts described above we were able to meet the demand of all 35 centers in entirety This comprised of 2080 PPE, 8138 3 layered Masks, 4988 N95 masks, 1450 Surgical Gowns, 606 Head Caps, 28300 Shoe Covers, 280 Face Shields, and 13250 pairs of gloves in addition to hand sanitizers, and disinfectants. The total expenditure incurred was INR 25,05,176.0 ($ 33,684.85).

Conclusions

With concerted efforts and support from various stakeholders and agencies involved, timely delivery of these articles could be ensured to all centers. As a support group this exercise has empowered us to meet unforeseen challenges in the future.

Background and Aims

Since the early 2020, the COVID-19 broke up and spread the whole world without early warning. The live paces were disordered and nearly everyone was under the panic with limited information and materials. The families with children cancers suffered more:

1. Hard to go to the hospital

2. Lack of protection (masks and sterilizing equipment, see hand washing etc.)

3. Extra Expenses (Nucleic Acid Test (NAT), CT etc.)

4. Panic and worries under uncertainty

While charities faced new challenges:

1. All activities in wards had to stop

2. Difficulties in fund raising

At different period, Rainbow Foundation tried varites efforts to continue its services.

Methods

Rainbow designed the program "Let me cover U" to deal with different situation of the pandemic.

1. Physical Covering: Children Masks for kids around 0-3 years, 3-5 years, 5-8 years. Same and even above the standards of surgical masks. Colourful with designing signs. Small bottle with special designed. Protection-set. Zero-distance distribution (by mail or other ways)

2. Psychological Cover: New Online Activities

2.1 Online Traveling

2.2 Online funding

3. Offline activities under pandemic

Results

1. Around 7,000 person times got protection materials. (March 2020 - March, 2021)

2. 135 Online activities covered 40,000 person-times, more than 200,000 person times participated in this program. (March 2020 - March, 2021)

3. USD150,000 DONATIONS at one live show

Conclusions

1. No Geographically Boundary, Serve More Kids: From around 10 children in one offline activity to about 2000+ kids with their families online.

2. Attract More Volunteers: A smart phone is enough Low cost. More participation.

3. More ways of Fund Raising： Donators can see the patients and moved deeply

4. Attract more brands and companies: More companies can directly join the activities.

Background and Aims

The covid-19 pandemic challenges health professionals to reorganize care for pediatric cancer patients and their families - such as clinical care as consultations, tests and procedures and also psychological care on social and emotional scope.

In this context information is essential, being used to educate and clarify about covid-19, avoiding departure or pause of the treatment by patients and their families and being used by health professionals as a support and coping tool.

Methods

Beaba, a non-profit organization for demystifying cancer and providing information about the disease and treatment, developed information materials on covid-19 using the precepts of Information and Communication Technology.

The creation and production of the information materials followed the Agile Methodology, using the World Health Organization (WHO) as a scientific source of information and Information Architecture and Design for adequacy, accessibility and usability of the material, respecting the characteristics and particularities of the pediatric oncology environment.

Social media were used to broadcast them, enabling quick and accurate updates, considering the frequent changes resulting from new discoveries about the disease.

Results

Information materials covered general topics such as symptoms, transmission and risk groups of covid-19 and specific topics such as care for immunocompromised patients and protective measures for health professionals in the oncology field. Educational materials were also created as communication support tools: “How to talk to children about covid-19” and “We are together, but apart”.

Conclusions

More than 50 thousand people were impacted by the materials through dissemination on the Instituto Beaba's digital channels and by the shares made by patients, health professionals and institutions.

The information could be used as a prophylactic and protective way, especially at a time when one of the best “medicines” available is education.