Speakers at a discussion on Saturday emphasized awareness to control cancer related deaths in the country.”Awareness can prevent at least one-third of all cancer cases, government, non-government and well-off people of the country should come forward to raise awareness among people to prevent the deadly disease.”Director of Bangladesh Cancer Society Hospital and Welfare Home Professor Dr M A Hai said this while reading out the key note paper at a discussion, as a part of marking the ‘World Cancer Day” that observed on February 4 each year.Bangladesh Cancer Society (BC S) and Bangladesh Cancer Society Hospital and Welfare Home jointly organized the programme at BCS office at city’s Darus Salam area.Speakers of the discussion said people can prevent this non-communicable deadly disease by changing their life style in a positive way by quitting tobacco use, taking more vegetables and fruits and doing regular physical exercise.Dr Hai also urged the government to allocate budget to National Cancer Control Council so that the council can provide proper services to the cancer patients.Experts also emphasized early detection of cancer for successful treatment.Aslamul Haque MP, Secretary of health ministry Syed Monjurul Islam, Dhaka University Vice-chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, Pro VC of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Prof Moazzem Hossain spoke with Prof Dr Obadullah Baki in the chair.According to World Health Organisation (WHO) updated estimates, there are about 12 lakh cancer patients in the country and every year two lakh people are attacked by cancer and 1.5 lakh people die of the disease.This year the theme of the Day was ‘Not Beyond Us’, an initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic.
