Speaking at the opening of the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) World Cancer Congress in China yesterday (WEDNESDAY), Dr Ala Alwan of the World Health Organisation said the high-level meeting in September 2011 of the United Nations General Assembly, which will focus on non-communicable diseases, was a major victory for cancer. The meeting will be attended by heads of state and governments.

Alwan told the delegates attending the four day meeting in Shenzhen that largely similar interventions could be effective in addressing heart disease and stroke, diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. By enlarge these four diseases share the common risk factors of tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and harmful alcohol use.

He pointed out that cancer had historically been poorly supported by development agencies and big donors despite the fact that 8-million people died before they reached 60 in developing countries from cancer and other non-communicable diseases. In most cases the poorest people were most adversely affected and had to rely on health systems overwhelmed by increasing demand. In most of the ‘€œpoorest’€ groups tobacco use was highest.

Studies from India have shown that for the majority of families cancer equals a spiral into poverty.

Many countries have no operational plans to address cancer while only two percent of people living in these countries have comprehensive smoke-free laws and high levels of compliance.

According to Alwan diagnostics and treatment is ‘€œbasically inaccessible’€ in many places with 15 countries in Africa having no radiation therapy facilities.

Breast, colorectal and cervical cancer are highly curable in more developed parts of the world, but in many parts of Africa the cure rate is well below 20 percent. Populations in these parts of the world are also more exposed to the known risk factors.

‘€œAffordable solutions exist to prevent at least 1,7-million of cancer deaths through early detection and cures,’€ said Alwan.

Cancer causes 5,5-million deaths per year in developing countries and unless the world intervenes, this figure will jump to 6,7-million by 2015 and 8,9-million by 2030.

Around 20 percent of new cancer cases and 24 percent of people who die from cancer in the world are from China, adding significance to the location of the 2010 World Cancer Congress. However, there is agreement that the new frontier for tobacco companies is Africa.

South Africa is represented at the meeting by first lady Tobeka Madiba-Zuma.