Rwanda yesterday joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Cancer Day, an event that was characterised by sporting activities and free tests for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The day internationally falls on February 4 but the Government chose to mark it yesterday in order to take advantage of the existing efforts by the City of Kigali to promote mass sports through Car-Free Day that takes place every first Sunday of the month.

World Cancer Day is an international day that helps raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

It was founded by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.

Held under the theme, "We can, I can,” the local celebrations were held at the Rwanda Revenue Authority headquarters in Kigali where people participated in mass sports activities, had free testing for NCDs (also called lifestyle diseases), and women taught how to do breast cancer self-exam.

Speaking at the event, Dr Diane Gashumba, the minister for health, said the day provides the ministry with an opportunity to extend free NCDs testing to a large number of people as well as giving them information about the diseases so as to prevent them.

Sporting activities to fight NCDs

She underscored the value of sports as a culture that helps in the fight against NCDs, and urged Rwandans to take advantage of the free immunisation against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Hepatitis B, among other programmes put in place to fight against cancer and other NCDs.

Hepatitis B is one of the risk factors for liver cancer, while HPV is the virus that causes cervical cancer.

In Rwanda, 93 per cent of girls aged 14 are immunised against HPV. Hepatitis B vaccination covers 95 per cent among infants and is being expanded to adults.

Up to 20 district hospitals and 120 health centres are screening cervical cancer and the ministry targets that all facilities will be able to do this by 2018.

Information from the Ministry ofHealth shows that radiotherapy services will also be available in the country by end of the year to provide the final link in comprehensive cancer care in Rwanda.

Palliative care services are now available in all hospitals and further decentralisation in health centres and community is ongoing.

Cancer, the danger that lurks

Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. In 2012, more than 14 million new cases of cancer were reported worldwide and this number is projected to reach 24.6 million by 2030, when most of the deaths are expected to occur in low-income and middle-income countries.

Constance Mukankusi Gateja, the in-charge of community outreach and counselling at the Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa, an NGO that offers counselling and guidance to people affected by breast cancer, said sensitisation about cancer is needed at all levels.

She urged health centres to make effort to give holistic checkups that will help the public to know their status.

She also cautioned men to beware of the fact that breast cancer also affects them and, therefore, should not ignorantly take it as a disease that affects women alone.

Maimuna Kemirembe, a female breast cancer survivor, advised people about early testing and treatment, coupled with believing that you will recover, as some of the ways to beat cancer.

"Early detection is the best protection. If you test early it gives you more chances of survival. As you go through treatment processes, you need to encourage yourself because healing starts with you. You have to put it in yourself that you will recover,” she said.

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