Montserrat joined the rest of the world and celebrated World Cancer Day this year 2013 on February 4 when the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it would promote, that “World Cancer Day is a chance to raise our collective voices in the name of improving general knowledge around cancer and dismissing misconceptions about the disease.”
WHO recommended that the focus on the day will be on Target Five of the World Cancer Declaration: Dispel damaging myths and misconceptions about cancer, under the tagline “Cancer – Did you know?”.
Here in Montserrat the Health Unit of the the Ministry of Health & Social Services, joined the observance and launched what it called Lunch ‘N Learn sessions for government employees, inviting the general public to attend.
Hon. Minister Colin Riley told the gathering that the “topic today at this gathering to commemorate World Cancer Day 2013 is one that is of interest to me and fellow Montserratians. By now I believe every Montserratian family has had to deal with cancer in some form or fashion,” what Ag. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Krishnamurphy Gopal in a report earlier this year spoke about cancer as it related to Montserrat.
Dr. Gopal said: “It is a significant disease that Montserrat should more aware about.”
Minister Riley followed up called on residents, to take responsibility with their own health, he said raising the awareness level would no doubt encourage prevention, detection and treatment of the dreaded disease. “With that level of seriousness I its important for us to approach this disease which comes in many forms with a level of consistency which comes with looking after ourselves better.”
Dr Owen, Chief Medical Officer at the said launch confirms, “We get about fifty deaths a year here in Montserrat, of which I think probably between about ten to fifteen are cancer related,” noting that “breast cancer, prostate cancer are rather more common,” as against colon cancer which is a relatively small among the numbers, but, “it is a major cause of both death and illness.”
The CMO however noted that there has been an increasing focus on non-communicable disease because there is a recognition that, “non-communicable disease primarily hypertension and diabetes are the things that we really do need to pay attention”
