<p><a href="/en/afganistan/kabul" class="glossify-link">KABUL</a> and consume vegetables and fruits for prevention of the deadly disease.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the creation of National Healthcare Accreditation Board (NHAB) was also announced today under the MoPH framework on the occasion of the <a href="/en/world" class="glossify-link">World</a> Cancer Day usually celebrated in the first week of February.</p>
<p>The World Cancer Day was celebrated in Kabul under the theme ‘Who I am and what I can do’.</p>
<p>Firozuddin Firoz, public health minister, speaking at the ceremony, said that around 30,000 to 40,000 people contracted cancer in <a href="/en/afghanistan" class="glossify-link">Afghanistan</a> in 2018 while 15,000 of them lost their lives to the disease.</p>
<p>He said cancer was the second deadly disease after heart diseases that took the lives of many people around the world.</p>
<p>More than 18 million people in 2018 were infected with different types of cancer around the world while 10 million of them lost their lives this year, he added.</p>
<p>Firoz said currently around 44 million people were affected by cancer globally and the disease mostly targeted people of less developed and poor countries.</p>
<p>The public health minister added that tobacco use, consuming polluted air and excessive surfing of oily foods were reasons behind cancer diseases.</p>
<p>He said breast cancer, throat cancer, stomach cancer and blood cancer were among 800 types of cancer that mostly infected people in Afghanistan.</p>
<p>The disease could be controlled by increasing cooperation on measures that halted the disease from spreading, creating awareness about its factors and early treatment, he added.</p>
<p>Firoz said some primary efforts had been made for diagnosing and treatment of cancer diseases, but they were not enough.</p>
<p>He voiced on the masses to engage in physical activities and sports and consume boiled foods, vegetables and fruits.</p>
<p> A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on fighting against cancer was also signed between the MoPH and a singer, Aryana Sayeed, during the ceremony.</p>
<p>The public health minister said he chose Ayana Sayeed as ‘Goodwill ambassador for fighting cancer’ who would be providing public awareness through National Cancer Control Program of the ministry as a volunteer.</p>
<p>Sayeed said she would utilize all her efforts for providing awareness regarding controlling cancer diseases in the country.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, National Healthcare Accreditation Board (NHAB) was also established under the framework of MoPH today.</p>
<p>Firoz, while inaugurating the board, said the aim of creating the body was to boost quality of health services and standard.</p>
<p>He said all health activities in the country would be standardized in near future with the NHAB creation.</p>
<p>mds/ma</p>
