HEALTH TRENDS

$2 million worth of equipment donated to develop the National Cancer Registry

The donation of a server and tablets, to assist in the development of the National Cancer Registry, will go a far way in ensuring that correct and timely data is captured, noted Minister of Health, Dr Fenton Ferguson.

The donation, valued at approximately $2 million, was made by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) at an official function held at the Ministry of Health, last week.

"For years we have only been able to capture cancer data for Kingston and St Andrew, which were the only two parishes for which a cancer registry was kept. We are now well on our way to getting more comprehensive data for the entire island. These gifts from PAHO will be of tremendous help, in this regard, and we are grateful for the continued support," Ferguson said.

The national cancer registry has been established to assess the burden of cancer, as well as track and monitor the cancer epidemic.

In 2012, the worldwide burden of cancer rose to an estimated 14 million new cases per year, a figure expected to rise to 22 million annually within the next two decades.

In Jamaica, there were 3,198 cancer deaths in 2010, accounting for 21 per cent of all deaths.

The Government has set a target to reduce the number of premature deaths attributable to chronic diseases, which include cancers, by 25 per cent by the year 2025.

Ferguson said, "In order to achieve this goal, we have put measures in place to not only provide treatment services for persons with cancer but also to take steps to ensure that we improve primary prevention, screening, early detection, diagnosis, rehabilitation, survivorship, and palliative care."

Encourage children to be more physically active - state minister

Minister of State with responsibility for primary health care infrastructure in the Ministry of Health, Luther Buchanan, said there was a need to address sedentary behaviours in children.

Buchanan, who was speaking last week at Move Fest at the Mandeville Primary and Junior High School in Manchester, lamented that modern technology had many persons sitting on the couch with a remote in hand or video game controller all day, and said these behaviours have to be addressed, especially in our children.

"I am a rural man and, growing up, I was used to outdoor activities like kite flying, pulling trucks made out of juice boxes and bottle caps for wheels, running pieces of hose turned into wheels with hangers turned into the wire controller for that hose wheel. Children these days do not get the opportunity to experience that kind of fun," he said.

Buchanan said parents may be better able to afford high tech toys now-a-days, but they still have to teach children the value of outdoor play and being physically active.

"There are many fun and simple things we can do to improve our levels of physical activity while being an example to children. Instead of parking near the door of the supermarket, park nearer to the gate and walk the rest of the way. Gas is expensive so ride a bicycle short distances, take a walk with your children, turn on some music in your living room and just dance," he said.

The ministry recommended that persons engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day for five days per week. The goal of the ministry is to increase participation in physical activity by at least five per cent over the next five years.

"We will continue to work closely with other ministries, faith based organisations, educational institutions, private sector, civil societies and other groups, to develop an action plan that will create a more supportive environment for physical activity," Buchanan said.

According to the 2008 Jamaica Health and Lifestyle survey, nearly half of Jamaicans are classified as having low levels of physical activity. Physical inactivity is one of four risk factors for non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.

GenePeeks' Tech lets you see baby before it's conceived

A service that creates digital embryos by virtually mixing two people's DNA will give a clearer glimpse of their possible child's health, and perhaps much more, before it has been conceived.

The Matchright technology will be available in two United States fertility clinics later this month, allowing people to screen out sperm donors who, when their genes are combined with those of the intended mother, could increase the risk of a child inheriting genetic diseases.

The company that markets the technology, GenePeeks, hopes to expand worldwide. But the technology's patent also includes a list of traits that aren't necessarily related to health - such as eye and skin pigmentation, height and waist size - raising concerns that it could be used to select embryos on the basis of more superficial characteristics.

"It covers any disease or any trait that has a genetic influence," noted Lee Silver at Princeton University, who co-founded GenePeeks - even those where the genetic basis has yet to be discovered.

To know which mutations to look for, the software searches databases of genes linked to different conditions. To validate the method, the company used the software to digitally pair anonymous men and women whose genomes were sequenced as part of the 1000 Genomes Project. GenePeeks then screened their virtual embryos and compared the incidence of predicated disease to that in the general population.

"These studies confirmed the system's ability to accurately predict a future child's risk profile," says co-founder Anne Morriss.

Kiwanis donates haemodialysis machine to UHWI paediatric unit

Last week, the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston increased the capacity of the haemodialysis service at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Paediatric Unit by donating a Fresenius Haemodialysis machine valued at approximately $2 million. The equipment will benefit children battling with kidney disease (chronic renal failure) and who require two to three treatments per week for the life preserving haemodialysis treatments.

Immediate past president, Lola Chin Sang, in presenting this lifesaving gift to the hospital, remarked that it signalled the beginning of a long-term relationship and will go a far way in helping the club to realise its goal of serving the children: "Serving the children of the world, one child, one community at a time."

Chief of nephrology Professor Everard Barton, in thanking the benefactors, said that both had a similar mission to prevent and decrease renal failure.