What Tanzania is doing to improve cancer treatment: Minister – News

Dar es Salaam. At least 80% of cancer patients present to the hospital when the disease is advanced or terminal, which increases the burden of their treatment.

This was said by the Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children, Ms. Ummy Mwalimu, last Thursday at the Mwananchi Thought Leadership Forum, organized by Mwananchi Communications Limited.

The forum was intended to discuss issues related to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and to offer suggestions on "When the cancer is at an advanced stage, it is difficult to treat, it adds to the burden of the government, because we spend a lot of money to treat it. This can be avoided if the early diagnosis of cancer is done, "said Ms. Mwalimu.

The government provides palliative care to these patients to relieve the symptoms, pain, physical and mental stress of the terminal diagnosis so as not to let them suffer. Ms. Mwalimu revealed that the country had 2,000 patients in 2006, rising to 5,000 in 2011 and that today, at least 50,000 people are visiting the Ocean Road. Cancer Institute (ORCI) by year

To improve cancer treatment at ORCI, the minister explained that the government has decided to allocate 7 billion shillings to the institute in order to speed up cancer treatment services.

on uterine cervix cancer vaccination, saying that it does not have negative effects unlike reports broadcast on various social media networks.

"I want to tell Tanzanians that uterine cervix cancer is safe, it is intended to prevent young girls from developing the deadly disease, so people should ignore what is happening on the platforms. of social media. "

For its part, the president of the Diabetes Association of Tanzania and the NCD Swai Alliance called on Tanzanians to take the habit of consuming natural foods because that they play a big role in the metabolism.

"The winnowing of corn and other cereals reduces starch and the food becomes useless.

It causes problems like constipation" Dr. Julius Mwaiselage, executive director of the ORCI, said that there are now more than 600 centers in the country that can screen for cervical cancer and bad cancer. "

the challenge is that they are not enough because of high demand.There is another challenge of lack of investigation services for prostate cancer in different parts of the country, "said Mwaiselage.

Diagnostic services are available at all hospital levels, but pathology services are not. They can only be consulted in regional and national referral hospitals.

"The government is striving to ensure that there are many centers for these specialized services."

He added that there should be a sustainable supply of drugs to consider uneven distribution.