Staff Reporter
PROSTATE cancer is expected to lead in Namibia by the end of this year, followed by breast cancer and cervical cancer, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), Rolf Hansen.
Hansen shared these predictions at the official launch of the 2022 Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project, where he explained that the CAN estimated that prostate cancer will lead at an Age Standardised Rate (ASR) of 66,8 per 100 000 population count, followed by breast cancer at 57,6 per 100 000 and cervical cancer at 37,4 per 100 000 population count.
“To place this into perspective, while Namibia has a very smaller population than South Africa and Zimbabwe, we have an ASR cancer incidence rate of 198.3/100 000, while South Africa has an ASR of 209.5/100 000 and Zimbabwe stands at 200.4/100 000 population count,” Hansen said.
To address this challenge and to save lives, Hansen explained, the CAN implemented several support and screening programmes over the years. He added that through the National Cancer Outreach Programme of CAN for 2021/2022, the association managed to screen 2 295 people. This includes 1 882 women and 413 men.
“The cumulative industry value of these screenings is N$2 754 000, but because of the smart partnerships and innovative approaches by the Cancer Association of Namibia, we did not have to look at commercial pricing and operational costing, but rather focus on the absolute need experienced in our financially vulnerable rural communities,” Hansen said.
One of these partnerships is with Bank Windhoek, which supported CAN in its outreach programmes, enabling the association to reach out to communities that would otherwise not have access to screenings and early detection for cancer.
This was achieved through the Bank Windhoek Cancer Apple Project, which offers donors the option to purchase physical or virtual apples and apple juice to support the CAN. The cost of the apples is N$5,00, while the apple juice costs N$8,00 and the virtual apples starts at N$5,00. All funds raised from the project will be donated to the CAN in November.
“One objective unites us: raise funds to create awareness and help in the fight against cancer in our country. With cancer diagnoses on the rise worldwide, it becomes increasingly important for the kind of partnerships the Cancer Apple Project has, to thrive. Only by working together can we achieve so much and reach so many,” Bank Windhoek’s Executive Officer of Marketing and Corporate Communication Services, Jacquiline Pack, said.
