The wife of the Prime Minister, Kobita Jugnauth, participated in a working session with the wives of leaders from the United States and the African continent. This meeting focuses on the treatment and prevention of cancer in girls and women. The event was hosted by the First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, at the REACH Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC. During this event, the Prime Minister’s wife also met with Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, and professionals in the field of oncology, the president of Bio Ventures for Global Health, Jennifer Dent, among others.
This working session brought together African countries and focused on the treatment and prevention of cancer in girls and women. The rate is to reduce the mortality rate due to cancer by 50% within 25 years. Jill Biden, believes that the wives of leaders have a role to play in improving the quality of life of citizens.
While the wife of the Prime Minister, Kobita Jugnauth spoke about the prevention and treatment measures available in Mauritius. She stressed that the Mauritian government is mobilizing the necessary resources to allow better management of patients.
“Prevention remains essential in our fight against cancer. Mauritius allocates huge resources to screening for breast and cervical cancer, which are the most common types of cancer among women in Mauritius. A few years ago, the government also launched, like many African countries, the national human papillomavirus vaccination campaign for girls aged 9 to 12 years and I am happy to say that this has been a success, targeting nearly 100,000 girls today.
In terms of infrastructure, our island’s first-ever national cancer hospital will be fully operational by 2023.
This hospital will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology with linear gas pedals, breakthrough therapy and nuclear medicine. The success of such an initiative, however, depends on mutual support and countries like Mauritius remain committed to acquiring the latest expertise in cancer care and prevention. The United States, Dr. Biden, remains a trusted partner for our country, especially when it comes to modernizing our health care sector. We welcome any assistance that will enable our health care workforce to acquire new skills and knowledge while facilitating access to the latest treatments and medical equipment.”
In addition, Kobita Jugnauth thanked Dr. Jil Biden for his advocacy against cancer and the Cancer Moonshine.
