Number of people dying of cancer increasing: Official

National

MORE work needs to be done as the number of people dying from all forms of cancer in Papua New Guinea is increasing, officials say.
Speaking during the “Global challenges workshop on head and neck cancer (HNC) in Papua New Guinea”.
Health Department deputy secretary Dr Paison Dakulala said the issue of cancer was challenging one for them.
“The current government has made cancer a priority so we are tasked to ensure we get to where we should go,” he said.
The workshop, which started on Tuesday, brought together academics from Australian and United Kingdom universities and focused on the establishment of a collaborative network with PNG universities, the Health Department and partners to address a number of challenges in cancer services and research, with a particular focus on oral or HNC.
Health Department director of medical services health standards Dr Goa Tau said cancer was a hidden burden in the country.
Tau said the main reason for the lack of prominence of the disease was that documentation of cancer in terms of histological, serological and pathological reporting was inadequate.