KABUL annually.
Under the agreement, a diagnosis, treatment and research center for cancer diseases would be established in the Jamhoriat Hospital in Kabul at a cost of $25 million in one year, said Public Health Minister Firozuddin Firoz.
Minister Firoz signed the agreement with J. Scott Broome, head of the Global Medical Partners, a US-based health organization.
The minister said around 15,000 cancer patients out of 20,000 in Afghanistan lost their lives due to absence of treatment facilities for the disease in the country.
He said around 10,500 of the cancer patients were women and nearly 9,500 of them were men.
Based on the agreement, 60 percent of the cancer patients would be treated with radiation therapy and the remaining 40 percent with surgical operations and chemical and biological methods in the center being created, Firoz said.
He said the center would be equipped with most advanced and up-to-date tools of cancer treatment and diagnosis.
“Developing countries still don’t have access to such tools and it is the first time such an advanced cancer treatment center is opening in Afghanistan,” he added.
“The MoPH expects this center would help prevent 3,000 cancer patients from going abroad for their treatment,” Firoz said.
J. Scott. Broome said the health situation of cancer patients in Afghanistan was worrisome and stressed the need for creating awareness and using advanced treatment methods to control cancer diseases in Afghanistan.
“Many cancer patients in Afghanistan lose their lives due to their economic problems and for lacking access to treatment services,” he said. He said Global Medical Partners was committed to long-term cooperation with Afghanistan.
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