Dep. Minister of Tourism Boost Cancer Advocacy in Sierra Leone

The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Kadija O. Sesay, informed cancer stakeholders in Sierra Leone during a meeting held yesterday at the Connaught Hospital that nationwide campaign should be held for cancer awareness. The minister, after playing a vital role in the successful commemoration of ‘World Cancer Day on February 4, said she was happy to be a party to the campaign against cancer in the country, adding that cancer is no longer a silence in Sierra Leone. “Cancer is a worldwide ailment. None of us will say cancer hasn’t kill a friend or family member,” she said, adding that it has been killing people in the country because there were no facilities for diagnosis or medical attention. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Access to effective and affordable cancer treatments in developing countries, including for childhood cancers, would significantly reduce mortality, even in settings where health-care services are less well developed.

(L-R) Madam Kadija O. Sesay, Dr. Koroma and Mrs. Koroma The IARC report further states that the spiralling costs of the cancer burden are damaging the economies of even the richest countries and are way beyond the reach of developing countries, as well as placing impossible strains on health-care systems. “In 2010, the total annual economic cost of cancer was estimated to reach approximately US$ 1.16 trillion. Yet about half of all cancers could be avoided if current knowledge was adequately implemented…” the report states. Madam Sesay said this is reason why the National Cancer Registry should be supported to be able to provide the data for successful medical attention. “We have to push the process. We should be the donors and fundraisers to build the campaign against cancer in the country so that our people will know about the ailment and how they could better protect themselves,” she said. She said the commemoration of World Cancer Day created positive impacts on the lives of many and therefore efforts should now be made by all stakeholders to take the campaign to all parts of the country. “When we continue to create the awareness it will help change the attitude of our people,” she noted, adding that there is need for regional secretariats on cancer. “We should get more people involved in the campaign against cancer in Sierra Leone,” he said, reiterating that cancer doesn’t know age, wealth, tribe or colour. The Director of the National Cancer Registry, Dr. Semion Owiz Koroma, said cervical cancer has surpass breast cancer and that efforts should be made by stakeholders to raise the awareness throughout the country. He also thanked all the stakeholders for the successful commemoration of ‘World Cancer Day’ and implored them to continue the good work for a better Sierra Leone. “Having Madam Kadija O. Sesay as one of us is a good omen in our fight against cancer in the country,” he said. The IARC also states that based on the latest statistics on trends in cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, this new book reveals how the cancer burden is growing at an alarming pace and emphasizes the need for urgent implementation of efficient prevention strategies to curb the disease. “Despite exciting advances, this Report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem,” states Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-editor of the book. “More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally,” it states, adding that in 2012, the worldwide burden of cancer rose to an estimated 14 million new cases per year, a figure expected to rise to 22 million annually within the next two decades. “Over the same period, cancer deaths are predicted to rise from an estimated 8.2 million annually to 13 million per year. Globally, in 2012 the most common cancers diagnosed were those of the lung (1.8 million cases, 13.0% of the total), breast (1.7 million, 11.9%), and large bowel (1.4 million, 9.7%). The most common causes of cancer death were cancers of the lung (1.6 million, 19.4% of the total), liver (0.8 million, 9.1%), and stomach (0.7 million, 8.8%),” said the report.

Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom elects Paramount Chief

Having been elected Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom, Porto Loko District, on the 21st January 2010, Paramount Chief Shebora Sheba Gbereh has formally been inaugurated as Paramount Chief of Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom after going through the traditional “Kantha” ceremony.

Hundreds of dignitaries, government officials, Paramount chiefs and local people witnessed the coronation ceremony which officially took place under a big traditional cotton tree at Yongoro Town in Kaffu Bullom Chiefdom. Giving the key note address in another ceremony organized after the official Coronation Ceremony Paramount chief Bai Shebora Sheba Gbereh lll thanked God Almighty, his ancestors and his people for his position.

AML Executive Director: nobody will reverse the landmark of President Ernest Bai Koroma.

The Executive Director of African Minerals (AML), Mr. Gibril Moseray Fadika, said today (22 February 22, 2014) in Pepel Island that nobody will reverse the landmark of President Ernest Bai Koroma. “There is no other leader who is deployment oriented than President Koroma,” Fadika said to applauding cheers.

The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, visited Pepel Island and commissioned the handing over of a Health Center, Club House, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma Flyover, a market and store and Fadika Drive. The cost of the construction is estimated at USD443, 600. 00, approximately LE1,931,660,000.00 in local currency. People from the various sections in Pepel graced the occasion amidst drumming and singing. The President said before the operations of AML in Pepel it was almost a ghost town but that life has again been injected into it with more activities now taking place. The Paramount Chief of Lokomasa Chiefdom, Bai Massoh Laminaya Ngbathor II, and other dignitaries were in attendance.

Global battle against cancer won’t be won with treatment alone

Effective prevention measures urgently needed to prevent cancer crisis The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization, is today launching World Cancer Report 2014, a collaboration of over 250 leading scientists from more than 40 countries, describing multiple aspects of cancer research and control.

Women in Sierra Leone can be prevented with awareness raising campaigns Based on the latest statistics on trends in cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, this new book reveals how the cancer burden is growing at an alarming pace and emphasizes the need for urgent implementation of efficient prevention strategies to curb the disease. “Despite exciting advances, this Report shows that we cannot treat our way out of the cancer problem,” states Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC and co-editor of the book. “More commitment to prevention and early detection is desperately needed in order to complement improved treatments and address the alarming rise in cancer burden globally.” Increasing global burden of cancer In 2012, the worldwide burden of cancer rose to an estimated 14 million new cases per year, a figure expected to rise to 22 million annually within the next two decades. Over the same period, cancer deaths are predicted to rise from an estimated 8.2 million annually to 13 million per year. Globally, in 2012 the most common cancers diagnosed were those of the lung (1.8 million cases, 13.0% of the total), breast (1.7 million, 11.9%), and large bowel (1.4 million, 9.7%). The most common causes of cancer death were cancers of the lung (1.6 million, 19.4% of the total), liver (0.8 million, 9.1%), and stomach (0.7 million, 8.8%). The cancer divide As a consequence of growing and ageing populations, developing countries are disproportionately affected by the increasing numbers of cancers. More than 60% of the world’s total cases occur in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America, and these regions account for about 70% of the world’s cancer deaths, a situation that is made worse by the lack of early detection and access to treatment. Avoidable deaths Access to effective and affordable cancer treatments in developing countries, including for childhood cancers, would significantly reduce mortality, even in settings where health-care services are less well developed. However, the spiralling costs of the cancer burden are damaging the economies of even the richest countries and are way beyond the reach of developing countries, as well as placing impossible strains on health-care systems. In 2010, the total annual economic cost of cancer was estimated to reach approximately US$ 1.16 trillion. Yet about half of all cancers could be avoided if current knowledge was adequately implemented. “The rise of cancer worldwide is a major obstacle to human development and well-being. These new figures and projections send a strong signal that immediate action is needed to confront this human disaster, which touches every community worldwide, without exception,” stresses Dr Wild. Effective vaccination campaigns and health promotion Many developing countries continue to be disproportionately affected by the double burden of high infection-related cancers (including those of the cervix, liver, and stomach) and the rising incidence of cancers (such as those of the lung, breast, and large bowel) associated with industrialized lifestyles. Courtesy of http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/index.php

Nonsmokers with lung cancer have to battle stigma, too

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., more than breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. Ten to 15 percent of people diagnosed each year were never smokers. But the stigma that it’s their fault haunts patients, support groups and even research funding.

Dir. National Cancer Registry: Dr. Owizz Koroma, Dir. Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation: Mrs. Crimilda Pratt, and Founder and Team Leader of Rowaca Cancer Group: Alpha Bedoh Kamara CHICAGO — November was Lung Cancer Awareness Month, but you’d never know it. Shoppers aren’t bombarded by products in blue, the color designated by some to raise the profile of the disease. No NFL players or coaches wore blue-ribboned apparel, despite donning pink just a month earlier for breast cancer. “It just doesn’t seem fair,” said Meghan O’Brien, 31, a nonsmoker diagnosed with stage 4 of the disease last year. There is no stage 5. The lack of buzz is especially perplexing because lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, claiming more lives than breast, prostate, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. The five-year survival rate is just 16 percent — a statistic that has barely budged since 1975, according to the American Cancer Society. But lung cancer is seen as a tobacco-related illness that patients bring upon themselves. About 10 to 15 percent of the roughly 228,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer each year were never smokers, according to the LUNGevity Foundation, a Chicago-based support organization. Stigma negatively affects everything from emotional support to the anemic November awareness campaign. Even in obituaries, family members feel compelled to include the “nonsmoker” status, lest the deceased be unfairly judged. However, nowhere is the disparity felt more acutely than in funding research. The National Cancer Institute estimates that $17,835 is spent per breast-cancer death versus $1,378 for lung cancer, even though lung cancer accounts for almost 23,000 deaths annually among nonsmokers. “If we don’t start paying attention and changing attitudes, we will have a losing battle ahead of us,” said Dr. Ravi Salgia, O’Brien’s oncologist at University of Chicago Medicine. “In every other disease, the first question people ask is, ‘How can I help?’ But with lung cancer, there’s no empathy. It’s always, ‘Did you smoke?’ After a while, it’s just easier not to say anything,” said Andrea Ferris, president and chair of the LUNGevity Foundation. In O’Brien’s case, doctors pinpointed a rare genetic mutation, called ALK, created when two normal genes fuse together to form a new, cancer-causing one. <b> https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/reportback2014">

89 Year-Old Dies in Inferno

89 year old woman Janet Abiodu Williams is reported to have died in a blaze on Tuesday while her 22 Williams Street Kissy residence in Freetown was engulfed in fire. According to Bankie Lardge, son of the deceased, the actual cause of the fire is unknown, but it was believed to have started around 8:00-8:30 am that day, when he was feeding his pigs in the pen. “I heard my daughter shouting, fire! Fire!” he said, adding the blaze was first noticed at the top floor of the wooden house where the late Mrs. Williams’ apartment was. “Before I could rush up stairs to rescue my mother, the fire had already taken over the entire apartment, and it was too late for me to rescue my mother,” he lamented. The board house was completely engulfed in flames with properties worth millions of Leones lost. Eyes witnesses said although Fire Force officers later arrived on the scene, the timely intervention of the community people prevented the blaze from extending to nearby houses. Fire accidents are recently not uncommon in the east end of Freetown. Just two days back, another fire accident occurred along Bai Bureh Road Kissy, leaving properties worth millions of Leones in total ruins.

WORLD CANCER DAY IN PICTURES

COMMEMORATION OF WORLD CANCER DAY IN SIERRA LEONE SUPPORT ROWACA CANCER GROUP TO HELP ADDRESS THE CANCER MENACE IN SIERRA LEONE!! YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Cells from eyes of dead 'may give sight to blind'

Tests in rats, reported in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, showed the human cells could restore some vision to completely blind rats.

The team at University College London said similar results in humans would improve quality of life, but would not give enough vision to read. Human trials should begin within three years. Donated corneas are already used to improve some people's sight, but the team at the Institute for Ophthalmology, at UCL, extracted a special kind of cell from the back of the eye. These Muller glia cells are a type of adult stem cell capable of transforming into the specialised cells in the back of the eye and may be useful for treating a wide range of sight disorders. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote This interesting study shows that Muller glial cells are another viable avenue of exploration for cell therapy in retinal diseases” Dr Paul Colville-Nash Medical Research Council In the laboratory, these cells were chemically charmed into becoming rod cells which detect light in the retina.

E-cigarettes will be regulated as medicines in Britain

Electronic cigarettes heat liquid nicotine contained in a disposable… (Tim Ireland / Associated…) Electronic cigarettes along with products containing nicotine will be classified and licensed as medication in Britainby 2016. The battery-powered cigarettes, known as e-cigarettes, deliver an experience similar to standard cigarettes by heating liquid nicotine in a disposable cartridge and producing a vapor that can be inhaled. Culled from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/12/business/la-fi-mo-electronic-cigarette-medicine-20130612

Olive Oil May Protect Against Diabetes

Previously, a number of studies have shown that adherence to a Mediterranean diet – rich in olive oil, nuts, as well as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, and limited amounts of dairy products, red meat, soda drinks, processed meats, and sweets – inversely associates with cardiovascular risks. Jordi Salas-Salvado, from the Hospital de Sant Joan de Reus (Spain), and colleagues studied data collected on 3,541 men and women, ages 55 to 80 years, at high cardiovascular risk but without diabetes at the study’s start. Subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil; a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts; or a control diet (advice on a low-fat diet). No intervention to increase physical activity or lose weight was included. The researchers observed that those subjects on the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil were the least likely to develop type-2 diabetes, at a 30% reduced likelihood over the next 4 years (as compared to the control diet). The study authors report that: “A Mediterranean diet enriched with [extra-virgin olive oil] but without energy restrictions reduced diabetes risk among persons with high cardiovascular risk.” Culled from: http://www.worldhealth.net/

We Are Dedicated To Meeting Our Challenges - President Ernest Bai Koroma

The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, has informed diplomats and other international representatives that though Government is still faced with challenges in transforming the country yet is dedicated to meeting them head-on.

The President made this reassurance during the formal launching of the presidential meeting of the forum of diplomatic and foreign relations at State House. “This forum is organized at a time of transformation: a transformation of our nation’s key development program from the Agenda For Change, to the Agenda for Prosperity; a transformation of our economy from a heavy reliance on aid to one with colossal foreign Direct Investment and amongst the fastest growing in the world; and the transformation of our governance system to one that is open, transparent, accountable and supportive of international peace, security and prosperity,” he said. The President said Government still face challenges in all these transformations, but are dedicated to meeting them head-on. “We call on all of you present here today to support us sustain the alliances we have with your countries for overcoming these challenges; we call on you to support us sustain the partnerships for international peace and security; and we ask that we support each other to strengthen the bonds for promoting inclusive economic growth, the bonds for improving capacities for economic diplomacy, for transformative relationships and for cooperation in areas ranging from the reform of the United Nations, to fight piracy in the gulf of Guinea, combating trafficking in persons, and building peace in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Somalia, and Syria,” he implored.