Facebook vital tool, doctor says

Facebook has the power to save lives and improve the health of Papua New Guineans, a surgeon says.
The Colonial Centre oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Berry Reed said the increase in the number of Facebook users in PNG was good to promote health education online.
He said the users should be considered as agents of change.
During a presentation on cancer education on Facebook at the Dental Health Society (DHS) meeting in Port Moresby on Friday, Reed said Facebook could be used to prevent mouth cancer.
“The number of Facebook users is rising rapidly in PNG and it’s above nine percent of the PNG population,” Reed said.
He said the number of unpleasant mouth cancers was also rising, but the total number of healthcare providers was not.
Therefore, he said Facebook was a potential health education tool that needed to be used to promote prevention of mouth cancer.
Reed told the members of DHS and health professionals that they should promote a Facebook mouth cancer education page.
He said the page would warn their community of the dangers of betel nut chewing, smoking and alcohol intake that caused mouth cancer.
He said this would help those with mouth cancer recognise it earlier and be made aware of where to get treatment.
Reed said Facebook would also help health professionals to diagnose mouth cancer for quicker referrals.
“The benefits of faster treatment and effective prevention will be that many more young lives, productive lives, may be saved,” Reed said.
He said everyone could be a leader in education for mouth cancer prevention using Facebook to assist earlier diagnosis and treatment.