Focus on increase in cancer deaths

Cancer has become the latest opportunistic disease that kills people infected with HIV.

This has led to the government deciding to launch a huge cancer campaign, similar to the HIV counselling and testing campaign.

Heath Minister Aaron Motsoaledi confirmed this following the State of the Nation Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday night in Cape Town.

“We have to launch a huge campaign because [the] people dying of cancer now are younger people.

“The cancers that are on the increase include breast, lung, prostate, colon, rectum and cervical. These cancers are killing those infected,” he said.

Motsoaledi said the campaign would include talking about testing, early detection, prevention and treatment.

Ramaphosa also said there was a need to confront lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

He added that universal  health  coverage, through the national  health  insurance (NHI), would be implemented soon.

The NHI bill was now ready to be processed through government and would be submitted to parliament in the next few weeks, he said..

“Certain NHI projects targeting the most vulnerable people in society will commence in April this year.”