Brunei committed to closing cancer care gap

Azlan Othman

In accordance with estimates from the Brunei Darussalam Most cancers Registry, the danger for a person to develop most cancers is 27 per cent (one in 4 males), whereas for his or her feminine counterpart, the danger is at 29 per cent (one in three girls).

Minister of Well being Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar highlighted this in a message launched along side World Most cancers Day 2022, which falls right this moment. This 12 months, it carries the theme ‘Shut the Care Hole’.

Primarily based on statistics obtained from the Brunei Darussalam Most cancers Registry, 806 residents and everlasting residents within the nation had been identified with most cancers in 2020. The 12 months additionally noticed 352 most cancers deaths.

In different phrases, in 2020, most cancers triggered about one in 5 (20.8 per cent) deaths amongst residents and everlasting residents of Brunei Darussalam.

The variety of most cancers sufferers additionally confirmed a 25.3-per-cent improve over a five-year interval in 2016-2020, in comparison with 2011-2015.

Among the many highest varieties of most cancers instances recorded amongst males in 2020 had been colorectal (68 instances), prostate (39) and lung most cancers (37).

Among the many girls, the best variety of most cancers instances recorded had been breast (111 instances), adopted by colorectal (62), uterine or uterine corpus (62) and ovaries (32).

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham mentioned, “Yearly, on February 4, the world celebrates World Most cancers Day, a world initiative led by the Union for Worldwide Most cancers Management (UICC) aimed toward elevating consciousness about most cancers and performing in direction of higher stopping, detecting and treating most cancers.

“Alhamdulillah, as with different international locations, Brunei Darussalam can be not left behind by way of being equally energetic in elevating consciousness and taking actions and measures to stop and scale back the consequences of most cancers.

“The theme for World Most cancers Day from 2022-2024 is ‘Shut the Care Hole’. The three-year marketing campaign will concentrate on equity-related points, together with elevating consciousness of the shortage of fairness in most cancers care and figuring out obstacles for the general public to entry the companies and most cancers care they want. With the closure of this care hole, each barrier and their potential to scale back people’ probabilities of surviving most cancers might be prevented,” he mentioned.

“In accordance with the Worldwide Affiliation for Most cancers Management (UICC), we will each scale back inequity and shut the care hole if we will do a few of the following, which, Alhamdulillah, is being applied within the Sultanate.

“These embrace growing public data on most cancers prevention; equipping healthcare professionals with expertise and data – together with how inequality impacts most cancers care; strengthening primary well being care supplied in the neighborhood; addressing social and financial elements that may negatively have an effect on public well being via the formulation of insurance policies and implementation of acceptable programmes.

“Others embrace growing sources (ie cash and other people) – particularly for most cancers analysis, and monitoring the burden of most cancers nationally to form our investments extra successfully; and implementing a country-specific most cancers prevention and management plan that highlights the distinctive wants and sources of every nation,” he mentioned.

Dato Seri Setia Dr Haji Mohd Isham added, like different non-communicable ailments (NCDs), most cancers are preventable. Those that are chubby, people who smoke, eat unhealthy meals and eat alcohol have the next threat of getting most cancers – akin to breast, lung and colon most cancers.

“Due to this fact, since all of the most cancers threat elements might be prevented, it’s mandatory for us to keep away from it and comply with wholesome way of life steps akin to to give up smoking and keep away from publicity to passive cigarette smoke; sustaining a wholesome weight from childhood and all through life; guaranteeing the consumption of two to a few servings of vegatables and fruits day by day; lowering consumption of meals that’s excessive in fats/extra; and doing bodily exercise for at the least half-hour, 5 or extra instances per week.

“Different measures embrace present process routine well being screening checks to detect early indicators of most cancers, together with for cervical, breast and colorectal most cancers; getting vaccinated in opposition to Hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections to guard in opposition to liver and cervical most cancers.

“As everybody is aware of, the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic because the finish of 2019. Brunei Darussalam has as soon as once more been hit by the second COVID wave since August 2021, and like different international locations, it has had an influence and dealt main challenges, together with for the MoH.

“Among the many challenges confronted is the non permanent postponement of screening actions underneath the Nationwide Well being Screening Programme. Alhamdulillah, the Sultanate has now entered the Early Endemic Part, and the MoH will proceed to work to enhance the early detection and prevention of most cancers in Brunei Darussalam.

“As we be a part of the worldwide marketing campaign in recognising the primary 12 months of the ‘Shut the Care Hole’ marketing campaign, particularly in understanding the inequalities in most cancers care around the globe, we’re reminded how lucky Bruneians are to have common healthcare with prevention, screening and most cancers therapy out there and accessible to all residents of the nation.

“Allow us to additionally collectively assist scale back the stigma of most cancers, to hearken to the views of these with most cancers and their communities so we will begin pondering of higher methods to construct a brighter future the place folks can stay more healthy lives and have entry to most cancers prevention and therapy companies, it doesn’t matter what age or the place they work or stay,” he mentioned.

He additionally mentioned, “On the event of celebrating World Most cancers Day, I want to take this chance to remind one another of the significance of screening, particularly amongst household and buddies.

“As well as, I want to thank all events concerned, akin to authorities and personal clinics and hospitals, The Brunei Most cancers Centre (TBCC), Early Detection and Most cancers Prevention Providers (EDCPS), Pantai Jerudong Specialist Centre (PJSC) in addition to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such because the Kids’s Most cancers Basis (YASKA) Brunei, Brunei Breast Most cancers Assist Group (BBCSG) and different NGOs for his or her efforts in stopping and controlling most cancers in Brunei Darussalam.

“Every of us have the power to make modifications, massive or small, in equally making actual progress to scale back the consequences of most cancers. We proceed to be dedicated to elevating consciousness about most cancers and performing in higher stopping, detecting and treating most cancers.”