Rosmah (centre) takes a closer look at exhibits during the International Medical Genetics Conference 2014 at Tun Hussein Onn Hall, Putra World Trade Centre. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The prime minister’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, has urged the National Cancer Institute to work together with local and international universities and research institutions to advance knowledge on genetics.
This, she said, should bring benefits to the local population.
“We must focus on education and research. We need to train more geneticists, scientists, medical laboratory technologists and genetic counsellors to provide the required services,” Rosmah said this when opening the International Medical Genetics Conference 2014, here, yesterday.
She said while the government was the biggest provider of health services, she believed that everyone must play a bigger role in raising awareness on early detection, treatment and prevention.
“We should try to reduce the socio-economic and emotional impact of genetic disorders on the family and community,” she told the Kuala Lumpur conference.
Rosmah noted that the aim of the conference was to explore advances in DNA technology towards improving cancer care and better prognosis, saying that cancer was a much-dreaded disease.
“When cancer strikes, especially young people who have so much to look for in life, the impact is heart wrenching,” she said, pointing out that deaths caused by cancer were more prevalent yesterday.
Despite advances in molecular biology, she said, many were still unaware of the range of diagnostic and treatment options available.
“Anything that can throw light on the pathogenesis of cancer brings good news and hope for early diagnosis, treatment and even prevention to patients and their families,” she said.
Citing data from the World Health Organisation, she said there were 8.2 million deaths caused by cancer in 2012, led by lung cancer with 1.59 million deaths, followed by liver cancer (745,000), stomach cancer (723,000), colorectal cancer (694,000), breast cancer (521,000) and oesophageal cancer (400,000).
Rosmah highlighted a number of initiatives taken by the government in cancer prevention and control programmes.
On breast cancer, she said several breast cancer preventive programmes had been developed by various ministries, including the subsidised mammogram scheme under the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry.
The Medical Genetics Society of Malaysia is the prime-mover of the three-day conference. — Bernama