The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed its efforts to finalise the compilation of cancer statistics for the Greater Male' Region by the end of this year. With a rising number of cancer cases in the Maldives and no previous compilation of such data, the HPA is now focusing on identifying cancer patients and creating a cancer patient registry.
Speaking to PSM News, Public Health Coordinator at HPA Abdulla Muaz Adam said that the collection and digitisation of cancer case statistics are underway. In the initial phase, he said that over 1,400 individuals undergoing treatment at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Hulhumale' Hospital have been included in the registry. He also said the government aims to assess the prevalence of cancer in the Greater Male' Region by the year’s end.
HPA said that the cancer statistics will reveal the most common cancer types in the Maldives and identify risk factors, once completed. Efforts are also being made to conduct cancer screenings and awareness campaigns at both island and atoll levels. Hulhumale' Hospital, the primary government facility for cancer services, has reported the highest number of cancer cases, particularly from Male' City, Addu City, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Shaviyani, and Raa Atolls.
A Cancer Patient Registry is being established to better understand the cancer situation in the country. Currently, breast, lung, blood, thyroid, and oral cancers are the most prevalent. Major treatments for cancer patients are typically provided abroad, which is costly and burdensome for both patients and the government.
The government has pledged to build a comprehensive cancer hospital in the Maldives with state-of-the-art facilities, to alleviate this suffering. Work on this project has already commenced. Notably, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 84% of deaths in the Maldives, with 17% attributed to cancer.