GABORONE, Feb. 4– Cancer remains a significant public health challenge in Botswana, contributing to illness, disability, and premature death, the southern African country’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.
In 2022, Botswana recorded 2,317 new cases of cancer, 59 percent of which occurred in women. It is estimated that, on average, a person in Botswana has about a one-in-10 chance of developing cancer by the age of 75, the health ministry said in a release to mark World Cancer Day, observed on Feb. 4 each year.
However, many cancers can be prevented and successfully treated through healthy lifestyle choices, regular screening, early diagnosis, and timely access to quality care, it added.
The ministry encouraged the public to adopt healthy lifestyles, including balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol, participate in the recommended regular cancer screening services, such as cervical, breast, and prostate cancer screening, seek early medical attention for unusual symptoms, and support people affected by cancer to reduce stigma and discrimination. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
