As the world celebrated World Cancer Day today (February 4), the Westmoreland Health Department placed intense focus on cancer awareness, prevention and control to commemorate the day.

World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4 to raise awareness about the non-communicable disease, which is the second leading cause of death globally.

The theme for World Cancer Day 2022 is ‘Closing the Care Gap’.

Dr Kwame Viera, parish cancer coordinator at the Health Department, said a series of public education activities will be held at public health facilities across the parish as a central part of this year’s commemoration of the day.

“Basically, we will be enhancing our health education at our health centres and our health facilities in the parish to give some… health education to patients to empower them to act, so that we can close the care gap in terms of cancer,” he said.

Viera noted that a YouTube channel was also to be launched today to expand the reach of the Department’s cancer awareness public education drive.

Content on the channel will explore the importance of early cancer detection, nutrition on cancer, showcase testimonials from cancer survivors as well as highlight other non-communicable diseases and disease prevention.

He said the activities would extend throughout February with screening outreach for prostate and cervical cancer at Azul Beach Resort in Negril and The Caves Hotel.

“There are other activities we have planned within the month of February, extending beyond the day itself. Those would include intense awareness and cancer screening for the staff at two of our hotels in Westmoreland,” he said.

“Additionally, we’re trying to develop a questionnaire specific to cervical cancer screening and administer it within our parish, so we can understand what are the basic ideas and knowledge pertaining to cervical cancer in our population and see how best we can point or intervention based on the responses we get,” Viera continued.

Meanwhile, Viera says this year’s World Cancer Day theme, ‘Close the Care Gap’ is apt, as the equity gap in accessing cancer care is costing lives in developing countries, including Jamaica.

Citing statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), Viera said 70 per cent of cancer deaths worldwide are seen in developing or low-and moderate-income countries like Jamaica, as “we don’t have the financial and other resources capacities to handle” the disease.

“[Another] area in the gap is the fact that 90 per cent of low-to middle-income countries don’t have access to radiotherapy, which is one of the essential tools to treat cancer,” he further shared.

Against that background, he is urging Jamaicans to start taking responsibility for their health in order to reduce the death rate from cancer locally.

“As healthcare workers, what we can do is do our best to empower patients, to give them information about the things they should look for, about learning about screening practices, and how they can prevent in terms of their lifestyle changes,” he said.