'We can. I can.' is the tagline for the 2016 World Cancer Day that
is held on February 4, every year. In marking the 10th anniversary of
the global awareness campaign, the aim this year is to prove that every
single person can make a difference in the fight against cancer.
World Cancer Day is part of the World Cancer Campaign, adopted
following the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. This
summit took place on 4 February 2000, and subsequently the first ever
World Cancer Day was pencilled in for 4 February 2006. That tradition
has continued every year, and the custom does not stop in 2016.
In marking the World Cancer Day, the Ministry of Health,
Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children, has organised free
cancer screening at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI in Dar es Salaam.
The testing focuses on breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer
and skin cancer especially for people with albinism.
Statistics from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
and World Health Organisation (WHO) report that there are 14.1 million
new cancer cases annually and more than 8.2 million people die each
year.
MORE than 40,000 people have been diagnosed with various types of
cancer in the country and only 10 per cent of the victims have started
medication at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam.
Among those screened at ORCI, results indicate that 80 per cent
were in advanced stage three or four of the killer disease which make
treatment difficult.
The discouraging situation was availed by the Permanent Secretary(
PS) in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly
and Children, Dr Ulusubisya Mpoki when he read a statistical report on
the disease prior to marking Cancer Day today.
Dr Mpoki underscored the importance for people to check up their
health regularly so that once the disease is detected people could begin
medication at early stages.
According to him, the common leading types of cancer for male in
Tanzania is skin, throat, prostate and lymphoma cancers while female
population is highly attacked with cervical, skin, breast and throat
cancers.
The government continues with its commitment on prevention for non
contagious diseases and a major focus on cancer though challenged with
limited budget and technology, which frustrates our efforts.
According to the ministry plans to have cancer centres and
facilities for testing and treatment all over Tanzania are at various
stages where by constructions are in progress at Mbeya, KCMC
Kilimanjaro, Ocean Road Dar es Salaam while at Bugando, Mwanza
construction is completed.
We therefore urge the involvement of various stakeholders such as
donors, researchers, international companies and NGOs in order to
educate, enlighten and invest on treatment of cancer.
According to reports cancer can result from one or more causes that
may include life style, radiation, genes heritage, infections or any
other unknown reasons. We need to change our life style, engage in
physical exercise and observe balanced diet in order to combat cancer.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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