The head of Jamaica’s leading cancer support charity is urging health insurance providers to offer more affordable critical illness plans to improve access to cancer care.
Executive director of the Jamaica Cancer Society, Yulite Gordon, who was speaking on Thursday at the launch of the book: Through The Valley, written by cancer survivor Michelle Ashwood-Stewart, said difficulty in acquiring affordable health insurance is contributing to the fear factor that is associated with dealing with cancer in Jamaica.
She said one in every 21 women in Jamaica will be diagnosed with breast cancer, which is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths on the island.
Gordon pointed out that Jamaica’s median age for breast cancer diagnosis is eight years younger than the global age of 60, with approximately 60 per cent of the breast cancer diagnoses in Jamaica being among women between the ages of 25 and 59 years. This is an indication, she said, that this form of cancer afflicting local women is more aggressive.
And the JCS head noted that despite significant progress made to increase awareness and access to treatment locally, cancer treatment remains a major health challenge.
Gordon said the high cost of treatment has placed cancer care out of the reach of many persons, hence the need for affordable health insurance options. She stressed that in Jamaica, greater emphasis needs to be placed on survivorship and quality of life.
The head of the island’s leading cancer support charity applauded the efforts of the Government in completing two new cancer treatment centres of excellence, which offers state of the art radiation therapy to all cancer patients in Jamaica.
She also disclosed that later this year, persons will be able to access mammography screening at the University Hospital of the West Indies.
Gordon said the launch of the National Cancer Registry will also facilitate publication of population data on cancer, which will serve to guide national efforts to fight the disease and to promote more research activities.
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