Education is key to combatting cancer in Timor-Leste, according to President Taur Matan Ruak (TMR).
The head of state said Timor-Leste’s people need rigorous information about cancer as this illness was new to them.
President TMR said people needed to be educated about the symptoms of cancer so they could then seek a diagnosis and have swifter, better treatment.
TMR also supported the push to increase oncology care within Timor-Leste in order to face coming challenges.
Cancer rates are predicted to rise in the next 10 years according to world health authorities.
The President also called on all groups, especially civil societies, to campaign and raise the depth of awareness of the population in order to find a way to cure the illness.
Health Minister Sergio da Costa Lobo said the Ministry of Health had established a cancer working group to develop policy and a strategic plan in order to cooperate with civil society groups and to raise awareness of cancer risk factors and the symptoms and prevalence of the disease.
He said education was very important as many cancer patients present at health facilities with cancer in advanced stages, making treatment difficult.
He said last year, hospitals registered 98 cancer cases. The minister said while this number was small, action must be taken as cancer treatment was difficult and expensive.
Womb and breast cancer support group founder and breast cancer survivor Kristy Sword Gusmao said the group was ready to become a partner of the Ministry in order to combat cancer in Timor-Leste.
“We will take part in awareness raising activities and public education not only in Dili but in rural areas as well and organize regular meetings for women recently diagnosed with cancer, to give them information and refer them to health facilities for help,” Gusmao said.
She said as the support group was small it could not do everything alone but needed support from other entities to combat cancer.
