Mauritius: As per the National Cancer Registry, in Mauritius, 2866 new cancer cases were registered in 2021, out of which 1185 cases concerned men and 1681 concerned women. In the same year, 1575 persons died from cancer, among whom 777 were men, and 798 were women.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, provided these figures this morning as he launched training for the Trainers Workshop for Cancer Sensitisation. The event is being held at the Hennessy Park Hotel in Ebène and organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The Health Minister spoke about the alarming number of deaths worldwide caused by cancer, accounting for nearly 10 million in 2020. According to him, this high prevalence of cancer demands comprehensive efforts in prevention, early detection and effective treatment.
Dr Kailesh Jagutpal underpinned the key role of trainers in raising awareness and sensitising communities about cancer-related issues. The training for trainers’ workshop, stressed the Minister, serves as a vital platform to empower the trainers to become catalysts of change and equip educators with the necessary knowledge, skills and tools to effectively disseminate information, facilitate behavioural changes and combat the stigma surrounding cancer.
The Minister further informed that as per the figures of the National Cancer Registry for the year 2021, the most common cancer among males is prostate cancer, with 222 cases and among females, the most common is breast cancer, with 591 new cases.
He indicated that lung cancer is the leading cause of death among males, followed by colorectal cancer and prostate cancer, while breast cancer remains the main cause of cancer among females accounting for 32 percent, that is, one in three patients, followed by colorectal cancer, lung cancer and cervical cancer.
Minister Jagutpal assured that his Ministry is constantly promoting awareness and early diagnosis by raising public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and encouraging people to do their screening without delay.
He dwelt on the series of measures being taken to this end, namely: a Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Programme for married or sexually active persons aged 25 to 65 years in the community, at worksites and at the primary healthcare level; New technology, the Liquid-based cytology is being used to screen for cervical cancer instead of conventional pap smear; and the holding of Health talks in schools and at worksites on different cancers such as breast, cervical, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer.
To further strengthen national efforts to address the burden of cancer, in line with the National Cancer Control Programme 2022-2025, the Government has elaborated a three-fold objective revolving around curing cancer patients, prolonging their life and ensuring them a good quality of life, through early screening, education, prevention and optimising treatment, informed the Minister.
He also dwelt on key projects in the pipeline, which include: the setting up of a dedicated Breast Clinic; the recruitment of a foreign breast surgeon in mid-May 2023; a National Colorectal Cancer Screening project; and the setting up of a new state-of-the-art Cancer Hospital.
Also, present on occasion, the WHO Representative in Mauritius, Dr Anne Ancia, laid emphasis on the need to scale up prevention and control of cancers and lauded the workshop as an extra step being made to increase awareness among the population. She reassured that the WHO is committed to working with African countries and Mauritius to close the gaps regarding these.
Moreover, Dr Anne Ancia urged the population to act responsibly to stay in good health and to consider the long-term consequences of their everyday actions on their health. Besides, she encouraged everyone to undergo systematic screening and to go for testing in health facilities for prevention and early detection of cancers.