This disease is the second most prolific in the world and the first in North Cyprus, President of the Association for Assistance to Cancer Patients, commonly known as Tulips, Raziye Kocaismail said.
She said that there are two main issues regarding cancer in the country, one is late diagnosis and the other, unreliable access to medicines. This hampers recovery and is demoralising for the patient, she noted.
Raziye Kocaismail is herself a survivor of cancer but had to go to the UK to receive treatment when she was diagnosed with the disease in 1991.
She said that the Association, which she founded, demands uninterrupted access to drugs in order to improve chances of recovery and to improve patient morale. Raising awareness was essential and new treatment centres were needed, she said.
“As in the world, in our country today, the issue of cancer and cancer patients have remained in the background after the pandemic. Even in the most developed countries, there have been drug shortages, as in our own country, but in poor countries, 65 percent of patients were lost due to late access to medicine and treatment”, Kocaismail said. She added that patient problems in the TRNC can be followed more closely due to doctor-patient relations and being a small country.
Kocaismail asked that state and government officials pay attention to how those struggling with cancer are affected.
The Association for Assistance to Cancer Patients, which is a full member of the International Organisation for Cancer Control (UICC), said in its written statement on the occasion of February 4 World Cancer Day that the theme of UICC this year is “equality”.
UICC continues this year, as it did last year, with the theme of closing the gap between rich and poor countries in treatments, such as access to medicine, early diagnosis, early treatment, with the demand for equality.
