Cancer An Urgent Problem Of Public Health

Haiti - Health : Cancer an urgent problem of public health...
(Haiti Libre) - 05/02/2015 13:15:21

Wednesday, as part of the World Day against Cancer, Dr. Jean Ronald Cornelly Director of Oncology Program at the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) has estimated that if globally, cancer was a serious problem "in Haiti, it is an urgent problem of public health."

Adding that on the scale of the causes of mortality, women's cancers (cervical cancer and breast cancer), occupy "the first places". The deaths usually occur between 40 and 50 years "We have the highest incidence, the highest mortality rate." We do not have a structured program of screening. Diagnoses are late, and we do not have available to the population of modern methods of treatment," added the official, who announced that funds were released, the land is available, it remains only to start the construction of the National Cancer Center.

According to the latest report from the World Health Organization (WHO), cited by Dr. Cornelly, Haiti has the highest incidence in relation to regional statistics of the zone Latin America and Caribbean. For cervical cancer, the rate was 93.2 per 100,000 and the mortality rate is 53 per 100,000.

"One of the reasons behind this situation is that" 80% of women suffering from cancer come to the hospital only when the disease is at an advanced stage," ays Dr Vincent DeGennaro, Head of Internal Medicine for the project Medishare at the Hospital Bernard Mevs in Port-au-Prince, the main cancer treatment center in the country.

Thanks to a WHO support and from other partners, the Ministry of Health plans to vaccinate against cervical cancer about 2.5 mllions teenage and young women between 10 and 26 years.

On this World Day against Cancer, the First Lady of Haiti Sophia Martelly declared "we encourage research and therapeutic, so that fewer people dying of cancer. In our country, there are hundreds of new cases each year. The greater part of them arrive too late at health centers. For this, let's encourage prevention and early detection."

If the statistics for breast cancer are not available, Dr. Cornelly refers to the number of women who go to the center Bernard Mevs for their chemotherapy to get an idea of the situation. "We received more than 135 women with breast cancer in June 2013 to the present day and we realize chemotherapy sessions for two to four women every day," each coming repeatedly receive their medication for the duration of chemotherapy reported Dr. DeGennaro.

"The disease affects more and more young aged 25 years, further notes Dr. Cornelly." For him it is "catastrophic and we must take public health measures," by mphasizing, for example,on awareness and screening.