Tobacco control = cancer reduction

Addressing the plenary session this week Professor Judith Mackay of the World Lung Foundation said lung cancer survival rates were dismal.

She said there had been inadequate spending on tobacco control and that it had been very poorly funded by governments.

Mackay said it was also alarming to note that in many parts of the world a high number of health workers themselves were smokers. She said it was not unusual for doctors in China to smoke in the presence of their patients.

‘€œIt is also critical that we teach students about tobacco and how to counsel patients who want to stop,’€ she added.

Mackay said that despite efforts to bring the prevalence of smoking down, the number of smokers would increase due to the population growth.

‘€œThis means that despite the messages from big tobacco companies that small tobacco farmers will be out of jobs because of tougher legislation, it will not happen in my lifetime,’€ she said.

At another event earlier this week Dr Serigne Gueye, President of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer urged South African first lady Tobeka Madiba-Zuma to take the lead. He said the rest of the continent looked to South Africa to take the lead in tobacco control and the cancer battle.

It is widely expected that by 2020 70% of cancers will occur in the developing world, mainly in Africa.

Gueye warned that there was no use in screening for cancer if health workers were unable to offer treatment, a reality in many African countries where radiation and chemotherapy is absent.

Dr John Seffrin Chief Executive Officer of the American Cancer Society, the world’s largest voluntary health organisation devoted to fighting cancer, said that effective tobacco control could save millions of lives and billions of dollars. He said it was inexplicable that despite the fact that cancer was costing the world economy around U$895-billionper year, the disease was not on the G8 agenda.

‘€œCancer will become the disease of this century and it can either become the first non-communicable disease we manage to bring under control or a disease that has a devastating impact for generations to come,’€ said Seffrin.

Madiba-Zuma is playing an increasing role in the fight against breast and cervical cancer on the continent and is currently leading the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer.

Madiba-Zuma and her fellow first ladies have made a commitment to work for improved financing and leadership for the prevention of women’€™s cancers.

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  • healthe

    Health-e News is South Africa's dedicated health news service and home to OurHealth citizen journalism. Follow us on Twitter @HealtheNews

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