Today is marked World Cancer Day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of people die of cancer each year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. The situation in Kosovo is not better either. The number of people affected by cancer has increased in recent years. By taking steps to implement the new WHO guidelines, health care planners can improve early diagnosis of cancer and provide immediate treatment, especially for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. This results in more people surviving cancer.
All countries can take steps to improve early diagnosis of cancer, according to the WHO Guideline for Early Diagnosis of Cancer the three steps of early diagnosis are:
– Improving public awareness of the symptoms of various cancers and encouraging people to seek care when those symptoms occur,
– Investing in the empowerment and equipping of health services and training of health professionals so that they can perform accurate and timely diagnosis,
– Ensuring that people living with cancer can access safe and effective treatment, including pain relief, without experiencing inhibitory personal or financial suffering.
