For as long as anyone can remember, being diagnosed with cancer has always been an earthshaking cause for concern. The mere thought of a family member or a loved one being diagnosed with cancer is very much distressing.
Cancer has been identified as a growing global health issue and has devastated many a country, including Sri Lanka. It has rampantly increased throughout the island over the course of nearly 25 years, mercilessly taking with it an innumerable number of lives.
Cancer at a Glance
According to the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2020, the number of new cases of cancer in Sri Lanka stood at almost 30,000, affecting both males and females alike. It is also estimated that 16,691 deaths occurred due to cancer in the same year. Over the past 5 years, an estimated 75,909 people alive have been diagnosed with cancer. As of now, the most common types of cancer in Sri Lanka include breast, oral, thyroid and colorectal cancers.
Addressing Cancer
It is imperative that attention is given towards controlling metabolic factors that can lead to cancer. Physical inactivity, obesity and following an unhealthy diet are risk factors for many cancers that are commonly witnessed in within the country. Releasing educational material via both mass and social media is an extremely viable solution to raising the awareness of and encouraging youngsters to lead a healthy lifestyle. This could in turn reduce the number of cancer patients to a certain extent over time.
Despite preventive measures such as reducing obesity and tobacco smoking being put in place, cancer cases continue to soar each year. The reason is that preventive measures like these simply are not enough. Preemptive measures such as early screening and detection for cancers should also be given substantial preference. The capacity in being able to diagnose and treat the disease at an early stage is extremely high.
Improving existing cancer treatment methods and modernising facilities would also bolster Sri Lanka’s cancer services greatly. Moreover, conducting adequate and necessary research to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of existing treatments for patients unable to afford such services is highly crucial.
There is also the persisting problem of a lack of access to adequate readily available cancer related information in the local context. Information on demographics, diagnostics and successful treatment of cancer within the country can only be found on a limited number of platforms including the website of the National Cancer Control Programme (www.nccp.health.gov.lk).
Indira Cancer Trust
With the intent of combatting the disease within the country and giving patients a fighting chance, Indira Cancer Trust (ICT) was founded in 2016. Since its inception, the foundation has carried out over 20 large scale projects aimed at fighting cancer locally. The foundation possesses an enthusiastic team, consisting of 3 staff members, 10 volunteer co-ordinators and over 600 volunteers!
Their most notable projects include the helpline for cancer, livelihood support, children’s scholarship schemes, help with medication and equipment, provision of dry rations and programmes that support children with cancer. The centre also offers early detection and preemptive methods for those diagnosed with cancer. As another service, ICT provides around 1,600 natural and customised wigs for patients undergoing chemotherapy. In addition, they set on educating the general public on cancer and bridging the persisting disparity of information within the country.
In the past 5 years, ICT has gone from strength to strength locally and has touched the lives of countless individuals battling with cancer. Nevertheless, they still have a long way ahead of them to achieve their true objective – a cancer free Sri Lanka.
If you are interested in contributing to the foundation’s future endeavours or volunteering, you can reach out to them on their hotline or social media pages.
Hotline – 011 236 3211
Instagram – @indira_cancer_trust
Facebook – @indiracancertrust
The post Tackling the Growing Burden of Cancer in Sri Lanka appeared first on Pulse.
Source From Pulse.lk
Author: Editor
#SriLanka #News #lka