Health ministry raises awareness of cancer, other chronic diseases
Early detection boosts recovery rates
KUWAIT: Minister of Health Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi highlighted that educating people about chronic diseases, with a particular emphasis on cancer, is one of the strategic goals of the ministry. Addressing the 9th Gulf Week for Cancer Awareness, held under the slogan “We are with you”, the minister noted that spreading health awareness of cancer plays a significant role in boosting early detection rates by 30 percent and increasing recovery rates by the same percentage.
Therefore, achieving these results will reduce treatment periods and complications and save effort and time to speed up diagnosis and recovery, aligning with the main sustainable goals of the ministry in providing optimal care and optimizing the spending of the government on chronic diseases. The Gulf Week, which has been successfully running for nine years now, represents a joint effort between the Gulf Health Council and the Gulf Union for Cancer Control, including many activities in various Gulf countries, the minister said.
Secretary General of the Gulf Union for Cancer Control and Chairman of Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN) Dr Khalid Al-Saleh said that the Gulf Week has achieved noble goals since its inception, raising the level of health awareness. He pointed out that about 2,120 events have been implemented since its launch in 2016. Dr Saleh added that the large number of events indicates the success of the partners of the campaign, which are represented by 19 NGOs, government agencies and private sector institutions. Speaking to Kuwait Times, he emphasized awareness of cancer’s risk factors and early detection of its symptoms as two of the main aggregators in achieving high and effective recovery rates.
Chairwoman of the Coordinating Committee of the Gulf Week Dr Hessa Al-Shaheen said this year’s program includes 60 scientific, social, sports, artistic and entertainment events targeting all segments of society. She explained that raising chronic diseases’ awareness wouldn’t just help in achieving high recovery rates, but will even call for the adoption of healthy lifestyles that reflect positively on the overall health and psychological state. She expressed her utmost gratitude to the Gulf Center for Cancer Control and the Gulf Union for Cancer Control for the opportunity to be part of this yearly program.