BSMMU project to fight cervical, breast cancer extended

Fifty-year-old Nasima Khatun (not her real name) has lived in the Basabo area in the capital for 20 long years with her family. She has three children- a daughter and two boys. Her husband is a private job holder.

Two years ago, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She went on an operation at a private clinic and later she visited India for better treatment.

Now, she is taking chemotherapy after every four months. In fact, the full family faces a lot of financial burden and becomes looser due to the cancer treatment.

Fifty-three-year-old Rafiza Akther (not real name) was diagnosed with breast cancer four years back. At first, she took treatment at a clinic. But, later, she went to Chennai, India for treatment. Doctors conducted an operation on her left breast.

Hundreds of women like Nasima and Rafiza are suffering from cervical and breast cancer in the country. Statistics say, that about 14,000 women die of the two types of cancers every year in Bangladesh, which is higher than the mother's mortality death.

The government has taken the initiative to increase the allocation for running a project to protect women from cervical and breast cancer.

The initiative has been taken under 'Electronic Data Tracking with Population-based Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening Programme (EPCBCSP). In 2022, a proposal to extend the periphery and activities of the project was sent to the Planning Commission for its second revision.

An official of the planning commission has said that currently, the project is going on. The cervical and breast cancers have increased alarmingly and the time frame of the project has been extended to protect the women from the deadly diseases, he added.

About 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year out of which 6,500 women die. On the other hand, about 14,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and about 7,000 of them die.

Experts said the formation of the EPCBCSP was very crucial as it would help women at the grassroots level to get the scope of screening of the two deadly cancers.

Official sources said the primary cost of the project was Taka 49.50 crore which was borne by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Later in the first amendment, the cost was increased to Taka 56.78 crore and in the second amendment to Taka 198.95 crore.

The cost and time of the project have been increased due to the implementation of all aspects of the project. The implementation time of the project has been extended to June 2024 from June 2022.

The time of implementation of the ongoing project has been extended until June 2022. Now the new time has been fixed and it is June 2024.

BSMMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Sharfuddin Ahmed said many women are at the risk of being affected by the cancers. But, increasing awareness is one of the pioneer primary treatments in protecting the cancer, he added.

Under the project, he said, massive programmes would be chalked out across the country to create awareness about the diseases at the grassroots level. The project also includes research works to find out ways of getting cures for the diseases, he added.

/KN/