Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population announced that 758,791 citizens in 9 governorates registered for the presidential initiative for early detection and treatment of cancerous tumours. Total 103,286 citizens were transferred for free X-rays and laboratory examinations, since the launch of the initiative on 11 June 2023.
Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained that the initiative for early detection and treatment of cancerous tumours, including tumours of the lung, colon, prostate and cervix, aims at early detection of cancerous tumours, and thus reducing deaths resulting from them, pointing to the provision of awareness services to help citizens to quit smoking, as counselling sessions were provided to 16,315 citizens.
Abdel Ghaffar added that the first phase of the initiative was launched in 9 governorates, namely; Alexandria, Qalyubia, Beheira, Fayoum, Assiut, Matrouh, Damietta, South Sinai, and Port Said, noting that the initiative will be launched in the rest of the governorates successively during the period of November 2023 to be completed in all governorates by May 2024.
The official spokesperson appealed to citizens in the governorates of the first phase of the initiative to quickly register by filling out the online questionnaire. Or go to the nearest health unit, to obtain the free services of the “Towards a Cancer-Free Society” initiative.
Abdel Ghaffar said that after filling out the questionnaire and knowing its results, the citizen suspected of being infected is transferred to one of the hospitals operating within the initiative, to conduct X-rays and the necessary laboratory tests free of charge.
For her part, Nirvana Hussain, the Rapporteur of the Scientific Committee of the Presidential Initiative for the Early Detection and Treatment of Cancer Tumors, indicated that low-intensity CT scans, a bronchoscopy, positron imaging, dye CT scans and a CT sample are taken for suspected lung tumours.
Nirvana added that a laboratory sample analysis, a colonoscopy, a colonoscopy, and a pathological analysis of the sample are performed for suspected colon tumours, a PSA level test, magnetic resonance imaging, an ultrasound sample of the prostate, and pathological analysis is done for suspected prostate tumours.
She further noted that a smear, a cervical speculum, and a pathological analysis are performed for those suspected of having cervical tumours, stressing that if the sample is confirmed to be positive, the necessary treatment will be provided free of charge.
