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Guyana records 121 new cervical cancers annually – Dr. Ramsammy
(Kaieteur News) – Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Guyana, with approximately 121 new cases and 63 deaths reported annually, Chairman of the Presidential Commission on the Prevention and Control of the Non- Communicable Diseases (NCD) Dr. Leslie Ramsammy disclosed.
Dr. Ramsammy in his message to mark International Day HPV Awareness Day said that the disease disproportionately affects women, ranking second for both incidence and mortality among women aged 15–44. He noted HPV – Human papillomavirus- is a major factor, with an incidence rate of more than 20/100,000 women.
Chairman of the Presidential commission on the Prevention and Control of the NCDs, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy
The former Minister of Health, explained that high-risk HPV (16/18) is a major factor, with high prevalence rates particularly among indigenous populations. With an incidence rate of more than 20/100,000 women, Dr. Ramsammy said Guyana’s cervical cancer rate is very high.
He noted that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers a rate of 4/100,000 to achieve elimination. He noted that commission urges that citizens join the MOH to change this status; Guyana has a massive mountain to climb.
“On March 13, the Commission, together with Guyana’s Permanent Mission in Geneva will join Permanent Missions from different countries around the world to push for global elimination by 2080,” the chairman asserted.
According to Dr. Ramsammy, Guyana’s Permanent Representative in Geneva has been a lead proponent for a global push to eliminate cervical cancer by 2080.
“The elimination of cervical cancer before or by 2080 will mark only the second time that the world would have achieved the end of a disease. It will also mark the first time we would have ended a cancer.”
He said while the WHO global strategy envisages global elimination of cervical cancer by 2120, a growing number of public health experts have joined Guyana’s Permanent Representative in Geneva, who is also Chair of the Commission, to urge acceleration to end cervical cancer by 2080, 40 years before the WHO’s global elimination deadline.
He stressed that with the robust strategy in Guyana, the country can play a leading role by trying to achieve national elimination by 2050.
“The latest available global data reveal approximately 600,000 new cases of cervical cancer and 338,800 deaths annually, constituting 6.5% and 7.7% of total new cancer cases and deaths in women, respectively.
Low-Human Development Index (HDI) countries have the highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer, with incidence rates three times higher than that in countries with high-HDI, and mortality rates six-times higher,” Dr. Ramsammy said.
According to Dr. Ramsammy, national, regional and global investments in the fight against HPV and cervical cancer is a “best buy option” that is ignored “at great peril for people, particularly for women in resource-poor settings.”
He noted that remarkable advancements in science and technology, an armament of tools, provide countries with the real possibility for ending cervical cancer before 2050 in many countries and before 2080 in all countries.
“Guyana can be a leading light by ending cervical cancer by 2050. Ending a cancer for the first time will be monumental. The progress we have made in the fight against cervical cancer in the past two decades must motivate us to reach the finish line in eliminating cervical cancer.”
However, as a first step towards reaching this goal, countries must achieve the “90-70-90” targets by 2030. The 90-70-90 targets are 90% of girls vaccinated with the HPV vaccine before the age of 15; 70% of women screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 years and again by the age of 45; and 90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed.
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