Comoros Paves the Way to Safely Introducing Oncology Services for Cancer Care in the Country.
| Published date | 03 April 2024 |
M2 PRESSWIRE-April 3, 2024-: Comoros Paves the Way to Safely Introducing Oncology Services for Cancer Care in the Country
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A multidisciplinary team of experts appointed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) conducted a comprehensiveimPACT Reviewin Comoros at the end of 2023 to advise the Ministry of Health on cancer control needs and priorities. All aspects of the cancer control continuum were reviewed, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and palliative care. Findings from the mission are intended to inform the development of a National Cancer Control Plan and pave the way for introducing radiation medicine to the country in a safe and secure manner.
"The Comorian government is committed to the fight against cancer. Following the recommendations of WHO, IAEA and IARC experts, a roadmap has been drawn up to strengthen cancer control capacity in Comoros for the benefit of the Comorian population," shared Minister of Health Loub-Yakouti Attoumane in the weeks following the mission. This commitment was also evident during the mission, as a multidisciplinary team of national experts worked alongside the international team to provide guidance, counsel and context.
Comoros extends across over several islands, and the cancer situation is difficult to ascertain because the country does not have a population-based national cancer registry (a point that experts from IARC were keen to see addressed as it ensures that cancer patients are only counted once and then tracked throughout the care they receive in different institutions). In 2022, it was estimated that there were 619 new cases of cancer in Comoros' population of 836 000 people, and 418 cancer related deaths (Globocan 2022). Cervical, prostate and breast cancers are the most prevalent forms of cancer and mortality rates are high (42 per cent of all cancer related deaths in the country are caused by these three cancer types).
WHO attributes 45 per cent of all deaths in the country to non communicable diseases, including cancer. Radiation medicine can help in approximately 50 per cent of all cancer cases, but there are currently no radiotherapy services available in Comoros. However, preparations for such services are well underway.
"Comoros is actively engaged in setting up the foundations for strengthening cancer control in the country...
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