Rowaka Cancer Group - Sierra Leone

What health problems are caused by smoking? Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and diminishes a person’s overall health. Smoking is a leading cause of cancer and of death from cancer. It causes cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, kidney, bladder, pancreas, stomach, and cervix, as well as acute myeloid leukemia. Smoking also causes heart disease, stroke, lung disease (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), hip fractures, and cataracts. Smokers are at higher risk of developing pneumonia and other airway infections. A pregnant smoker is at higher risk of having her baby born too early and with an abnormally low weight. A woman who smokes during or after pregnancy increases her infant’s risk of death from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Millions of Americans have health problems caused by smoking. Cigarette smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke cause an estimated average of 438,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. Of these premature...

Cancer is the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells in the body. Some cancers, if caught in early stages need not be fatal; others spread quickly and can result in death. There are many types of cancer, but the most common types are: Breast, Colorectal, Lung, Prostate, Skin and Testicular. All of these involve the malfunction of genes that control cell growth and cell division. That means your cell will not be able to communicate properly (similar to you trying to talk to someone that does not speak your language) and as a result there will be a lot of mis-communcation. There is no single cause. Instead cancer can be caused by external factors (smoking, radiation, and infectious organisms) and internal factors (inherited genes, immune conditions, etc.) While some of the causes are outside of most people's control, other factors, like smoking, are lifestyle changes that an individual could make to improve their health. The American Cancer Society estimates that in a singl...

Over one hundred youths in the East End of Freetown joined Rowaca Cancer Group to celebrate LiveStrong Day October 2, to commemorate the day the founder and CEO of Lance Amstrong Foundation, Lance Amstrong, was diagnosed with cancer. The celebration, which was organized by the Community Based Organization, Rowaka Cancer Group (RCG), was held at Wellington in Freetown. RCG has been working to promote awareness among grassroots people on cancer disease, and LiveStrong Day was a unique day in the history of the organization as the occasion was celebrated in many other countries championed by LiveStrong. Being that Sierra Leone has a high youth population, targeting cigarette smoking and the use of illegal drugs is key to the organization’s advocacy campaigns.

By Alusine Sesay Reverend Mohamed Kamara of the Wesleyan Church has advised young people to be mindful of the dangers of cigarette smoking and use of illegal drugs. Rev. Kamara made this call during a LIVESTRONG sensitization programme at Old Railway Line, Wellington on Friday. The occasion attracted young and old people in the community including the tribal head, Yabom Poro. Reverend Kamara, who was Chairman of the occasion, said many young people in Sierra Leone are at risk of exposing themselves to ill health especially cancer, if steps are not taken to seriously inform them about the dangers of cigarette smoking and exposure to illegal drugs. He said the action by the organization, Rowaca Cancer Group, to reach out to the grassroots is a welcome move as educating poor and vulnerable people about cancer will save lives in the community. He said he accepted the offer to be chairman of the occasion because he has faith in the team leader and the drive the organization is taking. “I...

LIVESTRONG Team Leader Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide but unfortunately in Africa, priority is yet to be focused in it as is often seen with diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Despite the lapses, African nations can still join the international community and be part in the drive to ensure cancer become a priority in the decision making processes. The cancer scourge has become so threatening that over 500 delegates from 65 countries in October gathered at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin to learn, cooperate, and communicate in order to find ways to work together as a community in the fight against cancer. The LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit is an unprecedented step by the Lance Amstrong Foundation to ensure that people worldwide are provided with national control plans by their governments. Stakeholders in the summit made a statement of unity, reiterating the urgent need for countries to have National Cancer Control Plans, to make a glo...

Smoking is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. About 420,000 deaths occur each year as a result of smoking cigarettes. Individuals who smoke are likely to develop peptic ulcer disease, and are more likely to develop cataracts, as opposed to non-smokers. People, who smoke, are ten times more likely to die from larynx cancer, esophagus, chronic obstructive lung disease, including emphysema. The risk becomes even higher if cigarette smoking is combined with alcohol use or with occupational exposure to certain types of toxic substances, such as asbestos. Many individuals continue to smoke knowing these dangerous conditions, because they believe that smoking has benefits like stress relief, anxiety, pleasure, or weight maintenance, thinking that quitting smoking is difficult and won’t be an easy task to accomplish. Individuals who quit smoking however have a significantly lower life expectancy than continuing smokers. When smokers can quit at a young age,...

The United Nations Children Fund representative, Geert Caepellaere has disclosed that it is part of the government’s health policy to provide medical service to all women of child bearing age and children under-five years of age. Unfortunately there are no free medical services for children suffering from cancer or cancer related ailments and it is left with the Government to ensure that free medical facilities are provided for under-five children and women. The international community in its drive to help women and children in Sierra Leone by supporting their medical needs it is also important for them to consider the many that are suffering from cancer. The UNICEF Country Representative made this disclosure of government’s commitment at a press briefing at the Ministry of Social Welfare Conference Hall on Monday during the preparations for the commemoration of the Day of the African Child. He stressed the need for accessible and affordable health care service for women and children.

The Director of Amnesty International-Sierra Leone (AI-SL), Brima A. Sheriff met with members of the Rowaka Cancer Group at the AI-SL office in Freetown on Monday June 1, 2009, and promised to support the campaign against cancer in Sierra Leone. The Rowaka Cancer Group is an initiative of the Lance Amstrong Foundation to reach out to all Sierra Leoneans to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. The LIVE STRONG Leader in Sierra Leone, Alpha Bedoh Kamara, thanked Mr. Sheriff for his support to the campaign and noted that through AI-SL, the Group will have a formidable alliance to reach out with the message. Mr. Sheriff said AI-SL is always willing to work with advocacy groups that targets issues of rights, and that cancer being one of the causes of most of the deaths cases in country, though unreported, is a human rights issue. “My doors are always open to you,” he promised.

Fatmata Kargbo, Age: 18 years, is sick and suffering from some form of cancer. She has suffered from ‘mopia’ (cancer) for the past years and despite being in school, she’s stigmatized and hardly plays with others. Her parents have taken her to the Kalangba Medical Hospital, North of Sierra Leone, where diseases of this nature are diagnosed, but unfortunately there is yet a clue to a cure. “The hospital cannot diagnose any type of disease,” says her mother. The parents are worried for Kargbo’s life as they see no sign of cure and her condition continue to deteriorate.