KARACHI, Feb 21: Speakers at a seminar on cancer among children have urged the government to strictly enforce the ban on gutka and betel nuts because they were contributing a great deal in causing oral cancer among children.

The seminar, organised by the Children Foundation, was addressed by health experts Dr Aziz Tank, Dr Syed Fahim Ahmed, Dr Rashid Viyani and Dr Ashfaq Siddiqui. Besides, Children Foundation’s chief Ali Hasan Sajid also spoke.

The health experts said South Asia had largest incidence of cancer among children as compared to rest of the world. They said normally not more than 110 out of a million children were diagnosed suffering from cancer elsewhere, but this ratio was far greater in Pakistan and the rest of South Asia.

They said poverty was a great hindrance in diagnosis and treatment of cancer because only diagnosis and preliminary tests cost more than Rs25,000 in the country. They said children had greater immunity towards cancer and other lethal diseases as compared to elder people but most of cancer cases among children could not be registered because of an outdated medical information system and lack of public awareness.The speakers appealed to the parents to keep a vigil on their children and if they notice white shine in the eyes of their children or they become victims to persistent fever they should consult medical practitioners. They stressed that it was easier to save the precious lives in the early stage.

It was disclosed that some 4,207 cases of cancer among children were registered across the country and the number was on the rise alarmingly mainly due to use of gutka and betel nuts.