·
Cancer diagnosis on the rise in
developing countries and predicted to continue
·
Widening gap in cancer treatment
between rich and poor countries
London, Dubai, Singapore – 1 February 2016 - In the lead up
to World Cancer Day 2016 on February
4th, one of the world’s leading health benefit providers, Aetna
International, has released a new whitepaper to highlight the
widening gap in cancer treatment between rich and poor countries.
Dr. Sneh Khemka, president of International Population Health
Solutions at Aetna International, explains: “‘Cancer’ is often referred to as
the word you never want to hear your doctor say. It’s a global issue which
affects all ages and socio-economic groups with developing countries bearing a
disproportionate burden.”
“Cancer is not a single disease but a wide range of conditions –
some of which will be eradicated in the future thanks to early intervention,
continuous research and effective treatment. Yet whether you enjoy the benefits
of those efforts may well depend on where you live in the world.”
Statistics from
the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that in 2012 there were
approximately 14 million new cases of cancer, 8.2 million cancer-related deaths
and 32.6 million people living with cancer (within five years of diagnosis)
globally.
More than 60 percent of the 14 million new annual cases of
cancer were diagnosed in Africa, Asia and Central and South America, accounting
for 70 percent of the world’s cancer deaths. Cervical cancer is just one
example of the disproportionate burden borne by the developing world. The Union
for International Cancer Control (UICC) – the founder of World Cancer Day –
claims that over 85 percent of the 275,000 women who die every year from
cervical cancer are from developing countries. Cervical cancer will be
eradicated if there is widespread dissemination of the HPV vaccination, but
today most of the developing world simply has no access to the vaccine.
Dr. Khemka explains that 70 percent of new cancer cases
are forecast to
occur in developing nations by 2025, yet he believes three steps could help
close the widening gulf in cancer treatment between the world’s wealthiest and
poorest countries. He calls for efforts in poor countries to widen screening
programmes, roll-out of traditional radiotherapy machines, and wider adoption
of basic health insurance, such as the Indian Government’s Rashtriya Swasthya
Bima Yojan (RSBY).
“In the developed world, innovation in technology is creating
new and more effective treatments,” Dr. Khemka said. “However, in the developing
world, access to the right care at the right time is far less certain which is
why I refer to cancer as ‘a tale of two worlds’. On our current course, the gap
will only widen between the likelihood of surviving cancer in the richest and
poorest countries of the world.”
The World Health Organization’s cancer research institute, IARC,
has argued that
if the $320 billion invested worldwide each year on cancer treatment and
prevention was better targeted, the number of cancer deaths could be cut by
half. Four out of every five of these “avoidable deaths” would be in the
developing world, according to IARC.
Dr. Khemka continued: “What appears to be a bleak path could be
changed with improved screening programmes and even rolling out traditional
machines in the developing world. Imagine the impact of these machines across
India, China, Africa, and other territories with burgeoning populations such as
Brazil. Traditional radiotherapy machines cost less than $1 million – far
cheaper than the $150 million for each of the 36 proton therapy machines in the
US. Giving people in the developing world better access to radiotherapy would
offer a greater chance of survival.”
“Similarly, establishing basic health insurance, as the Indian
Government has done with the RSBY programme, offers those living below the
poverty line access to hospital care and a doctor. These sorts of schemes will
change significantly the way cancer is treated around the world; it is about
simple access and the financial mechanisms for people to seek care when they
need it,” explained Dr Khemka.
To read more from Dr. Sneh Khemka on the future of cancer,
especially in developing countries, visit here.
For more information about World Cancer Day 2016 visit www.worldcancerday.org
No comments:
Post a Comment