Africa's hidden epidemic of cancer

According to the World Health Organisation, 12.5 per cent of all deaths worldwide are caused by cancer, a greater percentage than is caused by HIV/Aids, TB and malaria combined. Cancer is often caricatured as a disease of affluence, one that takes its greatest toll in the developed countries of the Western world. In fact, like so many other diseases, its greatest impact is in the poorest countries, where it heaps agony on top of poverty.

Grim statistics. With its miserable poverty, wars and violence among various local and regional tribes and nations, strangling AIDS/HIV amidst the poor population, and overall lack of sustainable commitments from the international communities with meager amount of distributable resources, Africa's "fate" like other despondent places of our world looks bleak to the least.

Recent advancements in Cancer research have done "miracles" for many cancer survivors. The cure rate has increased dramatically for many forms of cancers like "haematological malignancies and childhood cancers." Other cancers can be effectively treated if and only if cancer is early detected. Also, controlling the causes of cancer like smoking tobacco, awareness of carcinogenic products in everyday consumable products are raising hopes for millions in the developed world. However, there is not the same level of awareness in African struggling societies where controlling tobacco like issue still remains stumbled at the fringe.

There is The Cancer in Africa conference taking place in UK's London "today and tomorrow". The author of The Independent article correctly observes the following: "we seek to extend that commitment by making cancer control in Africa a new priority for action. The need has never been more urgent. The opportunity for collective action has never been greater. By working together we can prevent another tragedy."

We can prevent another tragedy.

Regards,
Sohel

Read the article from the following link:
Africa's hidden epidemic of cancer