The Ministry of Health has reported that cancer data reveals a higher susceptibility among women to breast cancer and among men to oral cancer in the country.
The findings indicate a growing vulnerability in children to leukemia, lymphoma, brain cancer, and bone cancer.
Cancer cases are on a rapid rise globally, and national reports show a troubling trend within the country. Each year, between 35,000 and 40,000 new cancer cases are recorded, while annual cancer-related deaths exceed 19,000.
Breast cancer is rising at the fastest rate among women, with 26% of female cancer cases in 2023 attributed to this type. For men, oral cancer is the most frequently diagnosed, making up 12.6% of all male cancer cases reported in 2023.
Childhood cancers are also on the rise, with around 1,000 cases identified annually. The National Cancer Registry’s latest data for 2021 recorded 1,032 childhood cancer cases, predominantly leukemia, lymphoma, brain cancer, and bone cancer.
