Number of cancer patients in Kurdistan below world average: KRG

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The total number of cancer patients in the Kurdistan Region in 2016 was 5,085, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Health reported on Saturday.

Feb. 4 has been marked as World Cancer Day in an attempt to raise awareness of the illness, encourage detection in the very beginning stages as well as treatment and prevention.

Cancer kills over eight million people per year as well as infecting over 14 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Additionally, the organization mentioned 180 individuals are infected by cancer per 100,000 people in the world, and the number was expected to increase.

“In the Kurdistan Region, the number of cancer patients is below the world average, even less than the cancer patients in the neighboring countries,” read the KRG Ministry of Health’s statement.

The Ministry stated that in 2015, 99 people in Kurdistan were infected with cancer per 100,000. It also revealed the number decreased to 96 in 2016.

“In total, there were 5,085 cancer patients in Kurdistan during the year of 2016,” the statement continued.

According to 2016 statistics, the KRG noted cancer was more common among women rather than men as there were 104 female patients per 100,000 while men were 92.

World Cancer Day was observed for the first time in 2000 during the World Summit Against Cancer held in Paris, France.

Although the United Nations have not officially recognized the day, it remains an important event to spread awareness of the disease around the globe.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany