Dr. Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, the Minister of Health emphasized that World Cancer Day was a chance to spread awareness of cancer and promote its detection, prevention, and treatment yesterday at a formal event held at Camp Fouquereaux. He emphasized the value of routine cancer screening and early detection. to recognize World Cancer Day, which is observed globally on February 4.
In addition to working toward equity in cancer prevention and treatment, he emphasized the importance of lowering obstacles to life-saving preventative services, diagnostics, treatment, and care. He observed that cancer was the leading cause of death worldwide accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 or nearly one in six deaths. “According to the National Cancer Registry,” he said, “cancer is the third main cause of death in Mauritius.” “Some 2,866 new cases of cancer were detected in 2021, including 1,185 men and 1,681 women,” he added. “Around 18.7% men suffer from prostate cancer while 35.2% of women suffer from colorectal cancer and cervical cancer,” he remarked.
Government is investing massively in state-of-the-art infrastructure to improve public health care services for cancer treatment.” He indicated that the Ministry had come up with the National Cancer Control Programme 2022-2025, with objectives to propose a better framework as regards diagnosis, treatment, research, and palliative care.
Speaking on the alarming statistics for cigarettes and alcohol consumption, he urged everyone to stay away from risk behaviours such as tobacco use, lack of physical activity and poor nutritional habits. He noted that 40% of cancer cases could be prevented if people maintained a healthy lifestyle and practise physical exercises regularly.
Minister Jagutpal further dwelt on a series of activities that were on the agenda namely screening for breast cancer and cervical cancer; sensitisation campaigns in colleges for students of Grades 7,9 et 12; health promotion campaigns across the island; and vaccination campaign for human papilloma virus for children aged between 9 to 15 years.
For her part, the WHO Representative indicated that cancer was a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, adding that this number was expected to rise in 2023. “Many health systems in low- and middle-income countries are least prepared to manage the burden of cancer and most cancer patients globally do not have access to timely quality diagnosis and treatment,” she said.
She stated that in countries where health systems were strong, survival rates of many types of cancers were improving, thanks to accessible early detection, quality treatment and survivorship care.
