In the World Day against Child Cancer, which occurs on February 15, Soleterre Foundation recalls how important it is to strengthen psychological support for children who live the drama of oncological disease and their families. In the past seven years, requests for psychological support have quadrupled But the funds to have a psychologist available in each department are not yet enough. In Italy, the Foundation says, mental health is still treated as a luxury good. THE80% of children and adolescents do not have access to psychological support free of charge And this means that their families have to pay to access a fundamental right. The lack of regular investments and inclusive health policies, which bring Italy to the last places in Europe for health expenditure destined for mental health, limits fair access to psychological services, especially in the pediatric field.
In the report on the Soleterre program “Great against cancer 2024” It reads that, as part of this program, in 2024 the Foundation supported 28,571 beneficiaries of care, accompaniment and training, in 7 countries – Italy, Ukraine, Palestine, Uganda, Morocco, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso – including 7,347 children and their families, thanks to a collaboration with 22 partner organizations and a job of over 1.2 million euros in humanitarian projects. In Italy, in particular, it was launched the campaign “A psychologist for each department”, which led to the approval of an amendment to the Budget Law 2025, allowing the assumption of psychologists in some of the public pediatric onco-hematologies that most need it with a loan of 500,000 euros per year for three years.
Child cancer has a devastating impact not only on the health of children, but also on the economic and psychological stability of families, who are often forced to reduce or interrupt their work to follow care. The child’s illness generates a strong emotional suffering, putting to the test the psychological well -being of the parents, who face a load of stress, anxiety and uncertainty. In 2024, the Soleterre Foundation helped economically 857 Familiesalso accompanying them through 288 awareness -raising meetings aimed at improving access to health and social rights.
In 2024 the Soleterre reception network further expanded, Arriving at 182 beds distributed in 7 structuresto offer emotional and economic support to families who must move for care. Since 2017, the number of minors and family members hosted has gone from 166 to 1,298, thanks to the continuous commitment to guarantee a safe and welcoming environment during the care path.
Fondazione Soleterre has been engaged since 2002 in guaranteeing the psychological and physical well -being of people in every part of the world. In particular, those who live a trauma because of war, disease, poverty, marginalizationAnd. Through a network of over 100 psychologists he intervenes in pediatric oncology departments in Italy and in the world to support families throughout the disease path and assists the population victim of wars (today Ukraine and Palestine) and humanitarian crises with emergency psychological support . In over 20 years of work he has witnessed over 400 thousand people in the world. Information: www.soleterre.org
