ID :
30721
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 16:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/30721
The shortlink copeid
M'SIA'S NATIONAL CANCER MANAGEMENT BLUEPRINT TO ARREST GROWING CANCER CASES
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia aims to reverse the growing
number of cancer cases and arrest emerging new ones through a comprehensive
cancer management action plan by 2025.
For that purpose, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said, a National
Cancer Management Blueprint for the period 2008-2015 to streamline and
rationalise the nation's fight against cancer, has been finalised.
He said the blueprint would be submitted to the Cabinet by end of next
month
for approval.
"Our vision is that by year 2025, cancer will no longer be a public
health
problem in the country," added Liow.
He was speaking to reporters after opening the First Asia Pacific
Conference on Health Policy and Planning in an Era of Emerging Technology and
Cancer here
Monday.
The minister said the blueprint also outlined strategies to effectively
tackle preventable cancers, detect potentially curable cancers at the early
stage and effectively treat and rehabilitate, and offer optimum palliation to
terminally-ill cancer patients.
He said cancer was a major non-communicable killer disease in the country
and based on the National Cancer Registry, 30,000 to 40,000 of new cancer
patients were reported annually.
Malaysians have among the world's highest rates of nasopharyngeal,
laryngeal and cervical cancers.
"The estimated lifetime risk of getting cancer is one in seven for
Peninsular Malaysian males and one in six for females," said Liow.
Liow said the blueprint would also address other important issues related
to cancer management such as screening and early detection, diagnosis,
equipment, information and ICT, funding and human capital development.
"For example, we need to improve our human capacity development such as
the number of oncologists. Currently, we only have 39 oncologists in the
country, when in actual fact, we need 200," he said.
On the ban on imported chicken from Thailand following the re-emergence of
the bird flu scare recently, the minister said no similar cases were reported in
the country recently.
-- BERNAMA
number of cancer cases and arrest emerging new ones through a comprehensive
cancer management action plan by 2025.
For that purpose, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai said, a National
Cancer Management Blueprint for the period 2008-2015 to streamline and
rationalise the nation's fight against cancer, has been finalised.
He said the blueprint would be submitted to the Cabinet by end of next
month
for approval.
"Our vision is that by year 2025, cancer will no longer be a public
health
problem in the country," added Liow.
He was speaking to reporters after opening the First Asia Pacific
Conference on Health Policy and Planning in an Era of Emerging Technology and
Cancer here
Monday.
The minister said the blueprint also outlined strategies to effectively
tackle preventable cancers, detect potentially curable cancers at the early
stage and effectively treat and rehabilitate, and offer optimum palliation to
terminally-ill cancer patients.
He said cancer was a major non-communicable killer disease in the country
and based on the National Cancer Registry, 30,000 to 40,000 of new cancer
patients were reported annually.
Malaysians have among the world's highest rates of nasopharyngeal,
laryngeal and cervical cancers.
"The estimated lifetime risk of getting cancer is one in seven for
Peninsular Malaysian males and one in six for females," said Liow.
Liow said the blueprint would also address other important issues related
to cancer management such as screening and early detection, diagnosis,
equipment, information and ICT, funding and human capital development.
"For example, we need to improve our human capacity development such as
the number of oncologists. Currently, we only have 39 oncologists in the
country, when in actual fact, we need 200," he said.
On the ban on imported chicken from Thailand following the re-emergence of
the bird flu scare recently, the minister said no similar cases were reported in
the country recently.
-- BERNAMA
