PNG to join annual cancer globeathon

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill and his staff have been asked to join the globeathon walk against women’s cancers.

The annual event to be observed for the first time in Port Moresby on September 29 will be a four hour walk from Sir John Guise Stadium to Pacific International Hospital at Taurama. The event will see surgeons, cancer survivors, general public, women’s groups, students, staff and supporters walk to raise awareness. 

In Papua New Guinea more than 3,500 women will be diagnosed with a gynecological and breast cancer this year, and almost 85 per cent will die. 

This is a major health burden for Papua New Guinea, says Dr Mathias Sapuri, the United Nations in-country physician, deputy chairman of Pacific International Hospital and head of obstetrics and gynecology at PIH.

Gynecological cancers (cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal and vulvar) account for almost 20 per cent of the 5.1 million estimated new cancer cases and 2.9 million cancer deaths worldwide. 

More than 230,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, many in the late stages of their disease, and more than half will die. 

Cervical cancer is alarmingly on the rise in South and East Asia, Africa, South America and the Pacific, with incidence and death rates at their highest levels in 30 years, making the disease a major global priority. 

“While gains have been made in treating breast cancer and other diseases, far too many women around the world continue to die from cervical, ovarian and other reproductive cancers. We want women to be aware regarding prevention, screening, vaccination, to learn the symptoms for early detection and successful treatment, and raise research funding to develop better tools to defeat these cancers,” said Dr Sapuri. The efforts to fight cancer has gone global and this time PNG has joined with other nations in a united stand in a first internal an annual Globe-athon - the walk to end women’s cancers. 

More than 80 countries, including the US and their president Barack Obama will make history by walking in solidarity with millions of women and families affected by women’s cancers. 

Globe-athon is an unprecedented call-to-action, uniting communities around the world to raise awareness and support treatment and research on reproductive cancers.

Post Courier