Africa-Press – Mauritius. The importance of regular screening and early diagnosis for cancer was highlighted by the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, today, at an official ceremony organised at Camp Fouquereaux, to mark World Cancer Day, commemorated worldwide on 04 February.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Marie Ancia, the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Serge Gilbert Bablee, and several other personalities were present.
The Health Minister underlined that World Cancer Day was an occasion to raise awareness on cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
He pointed out that it was crucial to reduce barriers to life-saving preventive services, diagnostics, treatment and care as well as strive towards equity in cancer prevention and treatment.
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% women suffer from colorectal cancer and cervical cancer,” he remarked.
“Government,” Minister Jagutpal stressed, “is investing massively in a 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, which had as 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 and 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.
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