Losses in lives – and ringgit

IT’S bad enough that cancer is the world’s biggest killer.

But it has also robbed us in terms of healthcare costs and work productivity when it strikes employees.

And these economic costs are huge – to the tune of a whopping RM5.17tril (US$1.16tril) from the world’s 14 million new cases every year, according to a report titled “Cancer – It’s Everyone’s Business” by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

In the report, the UICC describes cancer as the world’s biggest killer, with 8.2 million people succumbing to the disease in 2012.

“Half of those people were aged between 30 and 69, in the peak of their productive years,” the report says.

It also highlights that developing economies face challenges as the prevalence of cancer and other non-communicable diseases continue to spike.

“This doesn’t just drain their resources, it deprives them of the workers they need to build their way out of poverty and achieve economic growth,” the report says.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) senior lecturer and health economist Dr Norashidah Mohamed Nor says a study in Australia has shown that having a 1% increase in total cancer death rates will lead to a 1.6% decrease in a country’s economic health or gross domestic product (GDP).

“Therefore, the increase in the prevalence of cancer, coupled with an increase in the ageing population, will reduce GDP,” she says.

She adds that workers battling cancer stand to face financial and emotional stress and may record high absenteeism.

“The low productivity can result in fewer opportunities for promotion and salary increments.

“At the same time, they may also be burdened by increased costs for treatment and medication,” says Dr Norashidah, who works at UPM’s economics department.

She urges employers to be more understanding of employees with cancer and suggests starting a support group for cancer survivors.

Tobacco is the biggest avoidable cause of cancer in the world, but Dr Norashidah points out that many Malaysians still continue to puff away and spend money to get their fix.

“About 60% of current smokers light up at least 15 sticks of cigarettes a day, based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015.

“A premium brand of cigarettes is about RM17 a pack, and so each stick will cost 85 sen.

“This means that, on average, a person will spend RM4,590 a year to get their fix,” Dr Norashidah illustrates.

Urging the Government to invest in moves to combat cancer, National Cancer Society Malaysia president Dr Saunthari Somasundaram says these efforts should not be viewed as an added economic burden.

“If you take initiatives to keep people healthy, you will increase the nation’s productivity and reduce the cost of treatment needed for those who are very ill,” she explains.

She says the Government can play a big role in drafting policies to promote better health, such as by gazetting more non-smoking zones.

“Spending money to decrease the unhealthy habits of people is an investment, not a cost,” Dr Saunthari adds.

Malaysian Oncological Society president Dr Matin Mellor Abdullah says that any cancer death in any age group is regrettable, but it is more so if it affects working Malaysians and the breadwinner of the family.

“To minimise the impact of the cancer, practise good lifestyle habits to minimise its probability.

“However, cancer cannot be prevented altogether despite a healthy lifestyle.

“Thus, for those who develop cancer, it is important that treatment be instituted as soon as feasible and at an affordable price,” he says.