By Kemo Cham
Every February 4 is commemorated as World Cancer Day. This year`s is no exception and in Sierra Leone, despite the domineering effect of the ongoing Ebola epidemic, some people are determined to ensure not just that the day is felt but also the effect of the burden of the disease on the country is exposed.
The 2015 commemoration is being held under the theme: ‘Not beyond us’. The point being made is that the solutions to addressing the disease do exist and are within our reach.
The campaign has therefore been designed to explore a positive approach, vis-à-vis, how the world can implement what is already known in the areas of prevention, early detection, treatment and care, and in turn, open up to the exciting prospect that can impact the global cancer burden – for the better.
According to the World Health Organization, currently 8.2 million people die from cancer every year.
The website www.worldcancerday.org says out of that number 4 million people die prematurely.
“World Cancer Day is a unique opportunity to raise awareness that there is much that can be done at an individual, community and governmental level, to harness and mobilise these solutions and catalyse positive change. By moving forward together we have the potential to show: Cancer. It is not beyond us,” a statement on website reads.
It adds that this year`s edition is intended to be articulated around four key areas of focus - choosing healthy lives, delivering early detection, achieving treatment for all, and maximising quality of life.
In Sierra Leone, the Thinking Pink Foundation has been involved with breast cancer awareness and its Executive Director, Cremelda Parkinson Pratt, is worried about high prevalence of cancer generally and breast cancer in particular.
“Global incidence and mortality is on the rise; disparity continues to grow as the nation continues to suffer from insufficient resources to fund Cancer,” Mrs Pratt told Politico.
In commemoration of the day, and as part of our contribution, Politico, in this edition of the paper, publishes a future article exploring the prospect of surviving cancer in Sierra Leone.
© Politico 04/02/15
