A new initiative will expand the number of Moroccan hospitals offering cancer treatment, while also focusing on prevention and early detection.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/03/10
Health authorities in Morocco have begun a campaign to fight cancer by opening new treatment centers and expanding health-care coverage.
Morocco launched the 8-billion dirham campaign, which aims to make treatment, detection and preventive care more accessible, on March 23rd.
Four regional health-care centers will be opened in Safi, Laayoune, Meknes and Tangier, in addition to two special cancer centers for women in Rabat and Casablanca, and two pediatric cancer centers in Fes and Marrakech. Palliative care units will be added to several provincial hospitals, while existing oncology centers in Morocco will be expanded.
Morocco currently has five state-run cancer centers and four private-sector facilities to treat the disease, which accounts for 7.2% of all deaths annually, with 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
"The plan has come at just the right time to address the growing need to combat cancer at the national and regional level, and reflects Morocco's commitment to adopting a regional strategy on the issue," said the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hussein Gezairy.
The anti-cancer campaign will also expand cancer patients' right to receive health-care benefits to offset the high costs of treatment, which is especially critical in a country where two-thirds of citizens have no health-care coverage.
According to the Health Ministry, up to 90% of the treatment costs for certain types of cancer are borne by the patients, which in turn impoverishes them and their families.
Fatiha, a 52-year-old housekeeper, knows first-hand how steep the costs of treatment can be after undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
"Each session costs me 2,600 dirhams," she told Magharebia. "Benefactors are helping me to get treatment. Without them, I'd have been dead long ago."
A significant portion of the anti-cancer campaign will focus on prevention and early detection. To further this aim, the Health Ministry will build more than 30 screening centers throughout the country over the next 10 years to screen women for early signs of breast and cervical cancers.
The campaign will also highlight preventive measures individuals can take to prevent the onset of the disease by living a healthier lifestyle, stopping smoking and avoiding other carcinogenic products. Around 40% of all cancers are preventable, cancer specialists claim.
Health Minister Yasmina Baddou praised the plan for its "ambitious yet realistic response to cancer" and its efforts to provide affordable, high-quality care for those who suffer from long-term illnesses.
Health care activists also praised the plan for its breadth and believe it will have a real impact on Moroccans' lives.
"The national cancer plan will help address the lack of capacity to treat the disease," said Professor Abdellatif Ben Idder.
Latifa El Abida, who heads the Lalla Salma Association to Combat Cancer, lauded the plan for its wide-reaching implications.
"The plan will enable Morocco to tackle this terrible illness by means of the best and most effective approaches available globally, while also taking account of the national situation," she told Magharebia.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/29/feature-02.
By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 29/03/10
Health authorities in Morocco have begun a campaign to fight cancer by opening new treatment centers and expanding health-care coverage.
Morocco launched the 8-billion dirham campaign, which aims to make treatment, detection and preventive care more accessible, on March 23rd.
Four regional health-care centers will be opened in Safi, Laayoune, Meknes and Tangier, in addition to two special cancer centers for women in Rabat and Casablanca, and two pediatric cancer centers in Fes and Marrakech. Palliative care units will be added to several provincial hospitals, while existing oncology centers in Morocco will be expanded.
Morocco currently has five state-run cancer centers and four private-sector facilities to treat the disease, which accounts for 7.2% of all deaths annually, with 30,000 new cases diagnosed each year.
"The plan has come at just the right time to address the growing need to combat cancer at the national and regional level, and reflects Morocco's commitment to adopting a regional strategy on the issue," said the WHO regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Hussein Gezairy.
The anti-cancer campaign will also expand cancer patients' right to receive health-care benefits to offset the high costs of treatment, which is especially critical in a country where two-thirds of citizens have no health-care coverage.
According to the Health Ministry, up to 90% of the treatment costs for certain types of cancer are borne by the patients, which in turn impoverishes them and their families.
Fatiha, a 52-year-old housekeeper, knows first-hand how steep the costs of treatment can be after undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
"Each session costs me 2,600 dirhams," she told Magharebia. "Benefactors are helping me to get treatment. Without them, I'd have been dead long ago."
A significant portion of the anti-cancer campaign will focus on prevention and early detection. To further this aim, the Health Ministry will build more than 30 screening centers throughout the country over the next 10 years to screen women for early signs of breast and cervical cancers.
The campaign will also highlight preventive measures individuals can take to prevent the onset of the disease by living a healthier lifestyle, stopping smoking and avoiding other carcinogenic products. Around 40% of all cancers are preventable, cancer specialists claim.
Health Minister Yasmina Baddou praised the plan for its "ambitious yet realistic response to cancer" and its efforts to provide affordable, high-quality care for those who suffer from long-term illnesses.
Health care activists also praised the plan for its breadth and believe it will have a real impact on Moroccans' lives.
"The national cancer plan will help address the lack of capacity to treat the disease," said Professor Abdellatif Ben Idder.
Latifa El Abida, who heads the Lalla Salma Association to Combat Cancer, lauded the plan for its wide-reaching implications.
"The plan will enable Morocco to tackle this terrible illness by means of the best and most effective approaches available globally, while also taking account of the national situation," she told Magharebia.
Source: Magharebia.com
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/03/29/feature-02.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.