Sierra Leone News: Today is World Cancer Day

Politics

Cancer is the second most common cause of death after heart disease across the globe, killing millions of people every year. Sierra Leone is not an exception from such a deadly scourge. World Cancer Day, February 4, is commemorated to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment. “Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the country and must be treated as a public health emergency, like any other disease concerning the public’s health,” said Brima Kargbo, Sierra Leone’s former Chief Medical Officer, in 2017. “We must immediately establish the necessary structures to address this as a priority.” There are about half a dozen major types of cancer, said Dr. Owizz Koroma. “The most common types in Sierra Leone are cervical, breast, liver and prostate cancer, leaving women particularly afflicted. But, there are also the likes of Kaposi saroma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma and bladder cancer, which mainly affect men. Of all these, cervical cancer is said to be the most predominant in the country.” An estimated 9.5 million people worldwide were expected to die from cancer in 2018 about 26,000 cancer deaths a day – and that number is predicted to grow. In Sierra Leone, it is estimated that almost 3,000 people develop cancer each year and over 2,000 die from the disease. Interestingly, between 30-50% of all cancer cases are preventable, WHO stated that prevention offers the most cost effective long term strategy for the control of cancer. According to an IMPACT study, “The majority of cancer patients in Sierra Leone seek medical attention when their illness is far advanced or at an incurable stage because of limited access to early diagnostic services.” “There are no radiotherapy services in the country and the provision of other modalities of cancer treatment, such as surgical oncology or chemotherapy, is hampered by a severe lack of human resources and medical equipment. This limited access to cancer care services, including qualified staff, means that patients have poor chances of survival if they develop the disease.” World Cancer Day targets misinformation, raises awareness and reduces stigma. Multiple initiatives will run on World Cancer Day to show support for those affected by cancer. This year, the Union for International Cancer Control, which organises World Cancer Day, is launching a new 3-year campaign with the theme “I am and I will.” It calls for a personal commitment to help reduce the global burden of cancer. Eating a healthy diet, plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoiding obesity, drink alcohol in moderation, limit eating of processed meats, be physically active and protect oneself from the sun are some ways of preventing cancer. World Cancer Day was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration written in 2008. The primary goal of World Cancer Day is to significantly reduce illness and health and death caused by cancer, and is an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer.

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