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Cancer Association presents interim report on the current situation to the health ministry

Cancer Association presents interim report on the current situation to the health ministry

The reality that COVID-19 as well as cancer and other non-communicable diseases remains a health threat of serious concern that must be addressed, an official said recently.

The CEO of the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), Rolf Hansen highlighted this last week when he submitted their interim report on the current situation of cancer on 17 September to Dr Kalumbi Shangula, Minister of Health and Social Services.

The document covers the results of the period 2010 to 2017 as updated per September 2020.

“We are currently busy with coding and data entry of 2018 patient records and await final information from collection points for 2019 cancer pathologies and case findings,” he said.

Hansen said that coding and collecting data is a daunting task because, the national registry is fully funded and managed by the CAN and their fundraising channels.

“We therefore thank our project partners, donors and the people of Namibia who remain committed to our cause, therefore a comprehensive 5 ear report covering the period 2015 to 2019 will be published in 2021, as the 3 year report scheduled for publication this year has been halted due to the pandemic,” he added.

He highlighted that awareness, education and primary healthcare development are key elements that can enhance national healthcare services, as early detection and treatment of most non-communicable diseases equates saving lives and saving budgets.

“Equitable healthcare for all Namibians should remain our mission, and with quality data we can achieve this objective by planning pro-actively,” he concluded.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.