The World Health Organization (WHO) has predicted a global increase in cancer diagnoses of up to 35 million by the year 2050.
Minister of Health and Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville spoke with reporters about the government’s strategy to address the disease earlier this week. He said, “the Department of Public Health in collaboration with National Health Insurance is about to launch a very robust screening program, particularly with breast cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer, which are the three most leading cancers in the country. Our job is for early detection and to look at all of the nutritional dietary supplements that has carcinogen effect to make sure that we educate the Bahamian people on what to choose and how to choose proper foods to the point where they can protect themselves from a nutritional standpoint.”
According to the WHO 1,116 people are diagnosed with cancer per annum in The Bahamas with 525 of those people eventually succumbing to the disease.
Minister Darville said, “we understand the incidence and the increase of cancers around the world. Our job in The Bahamas is to mitigate that effect, to make sure that we are screening earlier for early detection, because early detection the chance for full recovery is usually 90-98%.”
