Cancer is leading killer in PNG

BY all accounts cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Papua New Guinea.
This fact has been highlighted at 57th National Medical Symposium in Port Moresby this week.
Speakers, experts, medical professionals, policy makers and academics agree that more needs to be done in the areas of messaging, treatment and access to medicines and improvement of services in the health sector.
The numbers are hugely concerning for Papua New Guinea in light of the fact that its provision of basic healthcare to all citizens is an ongoing challenge.
It is, for the most part, hopelessly inadequate. Cancer is the number one cause of death in the non-communicable disease category, according to Port Moresby General Hospital chief executive officer Dr Paki Molumi.
He said the main reasons for this was because of the fragmented diagnosis and treatment service, uncoordinated prevention programmes, lack of cancer data and lack of other support services.
He says from estimated data, 7,500 people die from cancer annually in PNG. He said that equated to about 20 deaths a day.
But that comes with the caveat that this could only be the tip of the iceberg given that data is scarce and often non-existent.
The authorities charged with addressing the health issue do not have a clear idea of how bad the situation is and can only guess at the true nature of it.
“In PNG, I think it’s grossly underestimated because we just don’t have the numbers.”
He said cervical cancer was the leading cancer for women and claimed about 1,500 lives per year. That is four women dying a day.
Molumi added that breast cancer claimed roughly half this number.
He added that oral cancer had also increased with 825 deaths annually.
He envisioned that if unchecked by 2030, the numbers would have doubled.
The demographics are also concerning.
A good portion of those afflicted with cancer are in a productive age bracket.
We are seeing people in their 30s and 40s being claimed by this disease.
Molumi pointed to the trend that many diseases, not just cancer, were in fact lifestyle diseases.
He added that strokes, coronary heart disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease were the most common cause of deaths in this order of diseases.
“Soon it’s going to overtake our traditional infections like tuberculosis and pneumonia.”
Molumi was frank in his prognosis in that PNG was losing the race against cancer.
So what is being done to mitigate risk, address infrastructural and technical shortcomings in the fight against cancer?
Molumi says a holistic integrated approach is needed to address the rate of cancer in PNG.
The National Government can be commended for continuing efforts to have a major in-country cancer treatment facility set up.
A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is assessing the country’s cancer treatment capacity and identifying priority areas to improve upon.
IAEA delegation leader Igor Veljkovikj said the assessment would provide an analysis and set of recommendations to guide cancer control planning and investments across the country.
The threat of cancer on the population is obvious because not only is it robbing PNG of many productive citizens who could be contributing to the building of their communities, towns, provinces and the nation but it is also adds to the growing cost on the health sector.
People also need to take better care of their bodies and be aware of their environment because these are factors that impact their health. As Molumi pointed out, it is not just one department or agency’s responsibility to fight cancer, but a collective effort by all stakeholders.