Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu has called on people to be united in fighting the deadly disease cancer, saying that early detection could prevent unexpected deaths.
“The majority of the people do not know much about the preventive measures.
“If someone in the family is diagnosed with cancer, other members become confused as to where to go for better treatment,” he said while addressing the first National Cancer Leadership Congress 2014 at Chhayanaut Bhaban in the capital yesterday.
“Bangladesh has made much progress in the health sector but treatment of cancer is provided by a handful of big hospitals in Dhaka. The government should take initiative to ensure low-cost cancer detection facilities at district hospitals and upazila health complexes,” the minister said.
Inu said the number of cancer patients in the country stands at 1.2 million at present, and 100,000-150,000 new cases are detected every year.
“Half of the total patients die within five years. If detected at the early stage, around 60% of them can be cured or they can live more,” he said.
Eminence Associates for Social Development, Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Forum, NCD Alliance and Bangladesh Cancer Support Group organised the congress.
Sultan Khaled Akhter, who has been a cancer patient for nine years, said solvency to receive treatment as well as mental support from family members are needed to fight cancer, adding that prevention is the best way to deal with the disease.
“The government should not limit the initiative within seminars. Real steps should be taken to fight the disease,” he said.
Nuhash Humayun, son of eminent author Humayun Ahmed, said he explored the cyber world to know about colon cancer after his father had been diagnosed with the disease.
Everybody should be aware of cancer, he said.
At the congress, a number of academics and researchers discussed the present state of treatment of cancer and facilities to detect the disease in the country.
Professor Dr Rashid E Mahbub, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association and convener of the congress, presided over the event.
SM Badrudduja, director general of National Institute of Population Research and Training, Arup Ratan Chowdhury, professor of dentistry at Birdem Hospital and Dr Qumrunnahar, associate scientist at Icddrb addressed the programme among others.