WHO:Cancer cases are on the rise worldwide

BANGKOK, January 3 (TNA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of cancer cases has risen worlwide, as high as nearly eight million of whom have died annually so far. As every February 4 is observed as the World Cancer Day by the Geneva-based WHO, the International Union Against Cancer is raising public awareness globally on the cancer threat. Thailand's Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahamethapat told journalists of the cancer threat and worldwide campaign on Monday, acknowledging that cancer is a silent threat. According to a WHO latest report, annual cancer cases worldwide stand at about 13 million, some 7.6 million of whom have died, and the number of cancer patients and cancer-related deaths has kept rising with global fatalities likely to almost double to more than 13 million over the next 16 years. In Thailand alone, the WHO report indicated that cancer has most killed Thai people for over 13 years, since 2000. Dr. Narong said that 61,082 Thai people were killed by cancer in 2011 alone, accounting for 15 per cent of over 414,000 global fatalities. The senior public health official noted that his ministry has put in place measures to, therefore, increase access to healthcare for cancer patients in Thailand since 2012 so that they can timely receive medical treatment, with 12 health service zones set up across the country, 5-8 provinces under each zone, for the sake of their collective management of service plans against cancer, covering budget, medical personnel and equipment.(TNA)