Kuwaiti expert suggested global fund for helping cancer patients

GENEVA, May 26 (KUNA) -- Dr. Khaled Ahmad Al-Saleh, a Kuwaiti consultant at the radiology and carcinogenesis unit, on Thursday suggested launching a global fund for providing the cancer patients in the developing countries with access to medication.
Regrettably, many countries do not prioritize palliative treatment of cancer while patients are struggling at this critical stage for their right to life, he said in a speech to a symposium held on the fringe of the 69th World Health Assembly organized by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr. Al-Saleh highlighted the role of pharmaceutical companies in providing the cancer patients with the necessary medications at reasonable prices and providing the health facilities with early detection equipment, thus alleviating the suffering of patients and their families.
He noted that Kuwait was one of the first countries that adopted a partnership between the public and the private sectors in caring for cancer patients, developing early-detection programs and promoting awareness about the risks of cancer, particularly the breast cancer.
At the symposium acclaimed consultants from India, Malaysia, Spain, Honduras and Zambia, brainstormed ideas on how to introduce the cancer treatment to the primary health programs and the role the civil society can play in the education programs about the risks of this fatal disease. (end) ta.gb