Peru Health Ministry to Hold Free Childhood Cancer Campaign in Chorrillos

Peru’s Health Ministry will hold a free campaign for children and families in Chorrillos, Lima, on Saturday, Sept. 5, as part of Childhood Cancer Awareness Week.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bosque Encantado de Fátima on the eighth block of Avenida Defensores del Morro. Families will be able to access pediatric care and counseling about 10 warning signs associated with childhood cancer.

The program will also include vaccinations, guidance on coverage through the SIS health insurance system, blood-donation information, hand-washing demonstrations and a station for preparing an emergency backpack. Children can take part in face painting, games and the MinsaCuentos activity.

The ministry highlighted symptoms that should receive medical attention, including persistent bone pain that limits activity, a white mark in the pupil, fever lasting more than seven days and increasing skin paleness. Other warning signs include hard lymph nodes larger than two centimeters, persistent headaches with vomiting, unexplained swelling of the abdomen or another body part, spontaneous bruising or petechiae, and recent spontaneous bleeding from the nose or gums.

About 1,931 Peruvian children and adolescents under 19 receive a cancer diagnosis each year, according to the Global Cancer Observatory’s 2022 estimate. Víctor Palacios, executive director of the ministry’s cancer prevention and control department, said recognizing warning signs can help families seek medical care early.