February 4: The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that most of the deaths caused by cancer occur in low and middle-income countries like Nepal. The WHO said that 9.6 million people died of cancer in 2018 out of which 70 percent of deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries, including those of the WHO South-East Asia Region.

The UN body said that inadequate access to cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment are the primary causes of death. In 2017 just 30 percent of low-income countries reported having appropriate cancer treatment services available, WHO said.

“To accelerate region-wide progress and counter the fact that more than 67 percent of the SE region’s cancer patients die before the age of 70, several core initiatives must be strengthened,” WHO said in a statement.

The WHO stressed that there is a pressing need to integrate national cancer control programmes into health systems at every level.

While tertiary services are important, they are expensive and generally most effective when a cancer is detected early. To make that happen, effective cancer screening services must be available at both secondary and primary facilities, while health workers must be trained to identify the signs and symptoms that could lead to a positive diagnosis, WHO said.

“Member States should also continue to implement policies that prioritize cancer prevention across sectors. That could mean pursuing the plain-packaging of tobacco products (tobacco is the single largest cause of cancer, making up around 22 percent of cancer deaths), better regulating alcohol consumption or promoting the virtues of a healthy diet and active lifestyle. It could also mean strengthening immunization programmes to ensure everyone receives the hepatitis B vaccine and all females receive the human papilloma virus vaccine.”