News
Alarming spike in new cancer patients in Sri Lanka amidst aflatoxin fears in foodstuffs
by Suresh Perera
In the backdrop of concerns expressed by medical experts over ingesting foodstuffs with carcinogenic aflatoxins, Sri Lanka has witnessed a disturbing spike in cancer with 33,226 fresh cases on the basis of 89 new patients per day reported in 2019.
The number of cancer-related mortalities during the year under review was 16,691 with 46 patients dying of the dreaded disease per day, according to new statistics.
“There were 75,909 prevalent cases of cancer in Sri Lanka’, the Health Ministry’s National Cancer Control Program (NCCP), said.
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for almost 83% of total deaths in the country and the proportional mortality due to cancer is estimated to be 14%, it said.
“Newly detected cancer cases have shot up from a moderate 13,372 in 2005 to more than 30,000 in 2019”, says NCCP’s Acting Director, Dr. Janaki Vidanapathirana.
“There has been a steady surge in new cancer cases over the past 14 years”, she said.
Medical experts contend that aflatoxins (a family of toxins produced by certain fungi found on agricultural crops such as maize (corn), peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts) in the human system can cause a carcinogenic reaction over a period of time.
Director-General of the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI), Dr. Siddika Senaratne’s recent assertion that, apart from imported coconut oil, certain other consumables also contained aflatoxins, triggered a controversy over the safe consumption of certain foodstuffs.
Amidst public fears over products identified on social media platforms, rightly or wrongly, the critical question that emerged was for how long people had been consuming such foodstuffs and whether they continue to do so despite the claimed carcinogenic substances in them.
There was confusion in the public mind as Dr. Senaratne declined to identify the contaminated products saying that naming them will reflect adversely on the trade.
“They should be given time to remedy the shortcomings”, she said.
Asked whether the presence of aflatoxin in imported coconut oil, as discovered recently, and possibly other foodstuffs could have contributed towards the exponential increase in the incidence of cancer in the country, Dr. Vidanapathirana said that exposure to any aflatoxin will increase the risk of cancer, but it depends on the duration and the quantum ingested.
There are usually 800-850 new liver cancer cases per year caused mainly due to alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, hepatitis b and c and aflatoxins. Cancer is of multifactorial origin. Tobacco causes 15 types of cancers in the human body, while alcohol accounts for five types, the Consultant Community Physician explained.
Leading the list of top 10 cancers in Sri Lanka amongst males was mouth, lip and tongue cancer at 14% in 2019 followed by trachea, bronchus and lung (9%), colorectal (8%) oesophagus (7%), prostate (7%), larynx (4%), bladder (4%), lymphoma (4%), thyroid (3%) and others (40%).
Amongst females, breast cancer topped the list at 26% followed by thyroid (13%), colorectal (7%), ovary (6%), oesophagus (5%), uterus (4%), ovary (6%) trachea, bronchus and lung (3%), lymphoma (3%), oral (3%) and others (25%).
Oral cancer in Sri Lanka remains the highest in the world, Dr. Vidanapathirana said, while stressing that a structured program of action to arrest the alarming trend is the need of the hour.
Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancer develops when the body’s normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and instead grow out of control, forming new, abnormal cells. These extra cells may form a mass of tissue, called a tumor. Some cancers, such as leukemia, do not form tumors.
“Cancer can be prevented through early detection”, she noted, while warning that obesity, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity have been identified as some of the primary causes that lead to the dreaded disease.
Asked whether consumption of milk activates dormant cancer cells, she replied “I don’t know. There’s no such evidence”
However, the intake of dairy milk is associated with a greater risk of breast cancer in women, according to a new study conducted by researchers at Loma Linda University Health.
Dairy, soy and risk of breast cancer: Those confounded milks, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, found that even relatively moderate amounts of dairy milk consumption can increase women’s risk of breast cancer — up to 80% depending on the amount consumed.
First author of the paper, Gary E. Fraser, MBChB, PhD, said the observational study gives “fairly strong evidence that either dairy milk or some other factor closely related to drinking dairy milk is a cause of breast cancer in women, the ScienceDaily reported in 2020. (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200225101323.htm)
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
