FRI 05 FEB, 2021-theGBJournal- The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called for renewed collaboration among stakeholders to reduce the global impact of cancer, adding that the preventable deaths arising from the disease can be reduced with increased campaigns on prevention, detection and treatment.
The governor said this in commemoration of World Cancer Day, set aside by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to draw global attention to the disease, review progress on treatment and management options.
“Cancer and the deaths caused by it can be reduced if governments at all levels work with stakeholders to increase awareness on prevention, early detection and treatment to sufferers,” Obaseki said.
He noted that by working together as stakeholders to improve cancer control, the government and other relevant actors can achieve global targets to reduce premature mortality from cancer, adding, “There is the need to encourage people to go for diagnosis for early detection of cancer for effective control of the disease.”
Speaking on the 2021 theme of the World Cancer Day, ‘Together, all our actions matter’, the governor said, “As we encourage people to go for checks for early detection of cancer, we all need to end stigmatizing against sufferers.”
Obaseki further urged Edo people to take full advantage of his administration’s reforms and the revamp of the state’s healthcare sector to access affordable and quality preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare services.
World Cancer Day, organized by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and celebrated each year on 4 February, is an opportunity to rally the international community to end the injustice of preventable suffering from cancer.
According to the WHO in its 2018 publication, cancer is now responsible for almost one-in-six deaths globally. The WHO highlights that cancer no longer needs to be a death sentence, as the capacity exists to reduce its burden and improve the survival and quality of life of people living with the disease.
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