KUCHING: The Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) is marking International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) 2026 with a special awareness campaign and public exhibition to highlight the impact of community support on children battling cancer.
Observed globally on Feb 15 each year, ICCD brings together communities to raise awareness about childhood cancer and the challenges faced by young patients, survivors and their families.
This year’s observance carries the theme ‘Demonstrating Impact: From Challenge to Change’, and marks the final year of the global three-year campaign, ‘Equal Access to Care for All Children with Cancer’, led by Childhood Cancer International (CCI) and International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP).
In Sarawak, SCCS is showcasing the journeys of children such as Samuel, Jessie, Daniel, Ariyana, Andrian and Deo, who faced life-threatening diagnoses and underwent lengthy, complex treatments including chemotherapy, surgery, stem cell transplants, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.
With sustained support from SCCS and the wider community, many of these children are now on the road to recovery – returning to school, reuniting with their families and rebuilding their childhoods.
To bring these stories closer to the public, SCCS has organised a photo and story exhibition at the Ground Floor of The Hills Shopping Mall from Feb 10 to 15, with support from Busy Goose Market and The Hills.
The exhibition features before-and-after portraits of young patients, illustrating how timely access to specialised care has led to positive treatment outcomes.
President of Childhood Cancer International and Immediate Past President of SCCS, Rodney Wong, said over the past few years the non-governmental organisation (NGO) has explored the challenges the childhood cancer community faces, and the actions taken to address them.
He said this year, ICCD 2026 invites everyone to celebrate these achievements, get involved, and make a personal commitment to taking the next step.
“Join us in the ICCD 2026 campaign to explore progress, highlight stories of change, and share your vision of what equality in access to care should look like in the future. Let’s show what we can achieve when we work together, as a community,” he said in a statement.
Throughout the week, SCCS is also rolling out a social media story series featuring real patient journeys and educational content to help the public better understand childhood cancer and the importance of sustained support.
Globally, ICCD 2026 focuses on measuring impact by comparing challenges raised by the childhood cancer community with the actions taken to address them, while strengthening advocacy for equal access to care regardless of geography or background.
In Sarawak, one of the main challenges involves families travelling hundreds of kilometres from rural areas to Kuching for specialised treatment.
SCCS president, Mary Kiu Ai Ling said the NGO addresses this through a holistic support system that includes medical aid, accommodation, transportation and psychosocial care.
“For a number of cases, improved outcomes would not be possible without the compassion of our donors, volunteers and healthcare teams. Their support enables the provision of essential specialised treatments for children undergoing therapy far from home, which otherwise would not be financially viable for the families,” she said.
Members of the public who wish to support SCCS may do so via its official website or by contacting the society directly.
