The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) says Namibia needs to step up the fight against cancer over the next 10 years to prevent the country's health system from being crippled.
CAN Chief Executive Officer Rolf Hansen says there is an urgent need to close the gaps in the fight against cancer.
Hansen was speaking during the World Cancer Day pre-commemoration in Windhoek.
World Cancer Day is annually celebrated on the 4th of February.
The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) will provide cancer treatment services over weekends at House Acacia, the interim home for cancer patients, as of February 1, 2024.
The service is for cancer patients who live outside Windhoek but receive treatment in the capital.
CAN Chief Executive Officer Rolf Hansen says the country's cancer patient population has increased dramatically, which has prompted the decision.
The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), in collaboration with the South African Bone Marrow Registry, has urged Namibians who are between the ages of 16 and 45 to donate bone marrow stem cells to save lives.
The call was made during the National Awareness Week campaign in Windhoek.
The awareness week will focus on the importance of lifestyle changes, hereditary risk factors, and how early detection can impact the course of cancer in people's lives.
People were advised not to sign up as donors if they were not sure about themselves or feared the process.
Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide and will claim ten million lives in 2020.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Association of Namibia, Rolf Hansen, emphasised early detection and prevention as key methods to fight the disease.
Hansen addressed the opening of the Cancer Association of Namibia's Community Health Care Clinic and Patient Support Centre in Windhoek.
The primary objective of the centre is to raise community awareness about cancer prevention measures and early detection and to enhance available treatment options.
The Cancer Association of Namibia's Chief Executive Officer Rolf Hansen has encouraged members of the public to not look at cancer as a vulnerability or a death sentence.
Hansen in an interview with Nampa stated that negative mindsets among individuals must change, including the perception that cancer targets women and old people.
The Cancer Association of Namibia supports patients through various programmes - assisting them financially providing mental support and accommodation.
False beliefs and misinformation around the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination are hampering progress in conquering cervical cancer.
These were some of the concerns raised by various speakers at a workshop on sexually transmitted infections (STI), hosted by Roche and the Cancer Association of Namibia in Windhoek.
Cervical cancer, also known as the "silent killer," remains among the top four cancers, second only to breast cancer in incidence among women in Namibia.
Research points to nearly all cases of cervical cancer being attributed to HPV infection.
Bank Windhoek, through its Apple Project, has donated N$2 million to the Cancer Association of Namibia.
The project has to date raised N$33.9 million in support of cancer patients since its inception.
Through the Cancer Association of Namibia's National Cancer Outreach programme - a total of 823 men were screened nationally in 2022, with 90 requiring urgent referrals.
3064 women were screened, 453 of whom were recommended for further breast or cervical investigation.
