Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has urged African countries to identify and preserve the knowledge of traditional medicine and employ it in cancer treatment. The organisation’s assistant secretary general for Economic Affairs, Science and Technology Dr Ahmad Sengendo, made the call in Abuja at the High Level Regional Seminar on Promoting Cancer Awareness and Advocay Programmes in OIC Member States. The third edition of the seminar, hosted by the First Lady, Sen.
Oluremi Tinubu, has “Innovative Approaches to Cancer and Early detection” as its theme. Segwendo said there is need to identify and preserve available indigenous knowledge and plant species available in Africa and to use them in the treatment of cancer. This, he said, would go a long way in helping the continent to manage the scourge of the disease and lift Africa, which is part of Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) mostly affected by the disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, said “it is hightime Africa starts taking cancer seriously, as well as other killer diseases such as AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.” He added that “cancer is preventable and 40 percent of cancer deaths can be forestalled through early detection. “The current situation demands deliberate and coordinated action and according to available statistics, the statistics is expected to rise by 21.
4 million and an estimated 13.2 million people will die of the disease by 2030. “Mo.
