World Cancer Day
Cancer patients experience pain and challenges every day, and they deserve to be by their side and to support them in their plight, in appreciation of the constant pain they go through.
World Cancer Day.. Its origin and importance:
On the 4th of February every year, cancer patients are highlighted in an annual event launched by the International Union Against Cancer.
In 2000, for the first time, this initiative was organized by the Union Against Cancer with the aim of preventing millions of deaths that occur every year due to cancer. The initiative also aims to raise awareness and education about a disease and pressure governments and individuals around the world to take action against the disease.
Closing the gap in cancer care:
The International Union Against Cancer has launched a new 3-year awareness campaign entitled “Bridging the Gap in Cancer Patient Care” to provide more equitable access to cancer services.
The campaign highlights the barriers related to socio-economic factors, stigma and discrimination based on race, religion, gender and others that prevent many people from accessing preventive and diagnostic services, treatment and necessary health care, which poses a threat to their lives.
In the President’s of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) statement, the Professor Anil D’Cruz, said: “It is estimated that by 2030, 75% of all premature deaths from cancer will occur in low- and middle-income countries. Importantly, this care gap is not only between high and low resource environments. Rather, within most countries there are differences between different populations due to discrimination or assumptions about age, cultural environments, gender norms, sexual orientation, ethnicity, income, education levels and lifestyle issues. Thus, these factors are likely to reduce a person’s chance of surviving cancer – and can and should be treated.”
In a previous statement, the World Health Organization warned that global cancer rates could rise by 60% over the next 20 years unless cancer care was strengthened in low- and middle-income countries.
According to the International Union Against Cancer website, survival rates from childhood cancer are more than 80% in high-income countries, while it drops to 20% in low-income countries, while the website reported that more than 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur. In low- and middle-income countries, refugees are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages, leading to worse outcomes.
According to the same website, it is expected that by 2040 the number of people diagnosed with cancer will rise to 30 million cases globally. While the site reported that up to 3.7 million cases could be saved each year by implementing appropriate resource strategies for prevention, early detection and treatment.
Medical disability to treat cancer patients in northern Syria:
Under the deteriorating health system situation in northern Syria, cancer patients are living a hard reality, as there are no private hospitals or centers qualified to treat cancer patients at a time when a cancer patient needs dozens of therapeutic doses, including chemical treatments, which cost thousands of dollars, if any, as the cost of a dose One may reach $400, which the displaced and the residents of northern Syria are unable to pay, given the bad economic conditions they live in.
According to unofficial statistics, if there are no accurate official statistics about cancer patients in northern Syria, cancer is spreading widely in northern Syria, where 10 new cases have been diagnosed.
Closing the borders…a nightmare for cancer patients in northern Syria
During the previous years, Turkey received many non-ambulatory and emergency cases of cancer patients to receive treatment on its area, as they do not have the appropriate treatment in the hospitals of northern Syria, but recently Turkey stopped receiving these cases except by issuing a “therapeutic tourism document” for a limited period, which prevents patients From receiving free treatment to the fact that medical hospitals did not recognize this document, what increased their pain and cut their hopes of obtaining a treatment that would prevent them from suffering the disease.
According to unofficial statistics, the average number of cancer patients who entered Turkey for treatment in advance is between 1800 and 2000 cases annually.
Hashtag: Treat Idlib’s patients:
Under this hashtag, Syrian activists launched a campaign on social networking sites in Arabic, Turkish and English, calling on the Turkish authorities to open their borders to Idlib patients and receive them to receive the necessary treatment, as 1,000 patients need urgent and direct admission, including 350 cancer patients. Activists also shared photos, videos and stories of patients, stressing the need to reopen border crossings for them.
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