Mehriban Aliyeva: “We aim to ensure treatment of our patients, setting early diagnostics of disease, using state-of-the-art equipment”

Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr.15

Trend:

The Special Session on First Ladies' Leadership on Cancer Control took place April 14 as part of the 13th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul.

Azerbaijan's First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the session:

"Dear Mrs Emine Erdogan,

Esteemed first ladies,

Respected participants,

Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to say hello and wish you sound health and happiness.
Dear Emine khanum, thank You very much for arranging a session devoted to a very significant for our countries subject, and for your invitation to participate in this event.

I am very delighted to be again on the brotherly Turkish soil, among the friends and colleagues.

Taking this opportunity, I would like to deliver my profound respect and best wishes to the nations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation member-states.

Dear friends, the objective of our meeting is to provide our nations with information about cancer, one of the most severe diseases in the world. Professionals have been exerting great efforts towards early discovery of the disease and using various means for its treatment.

Although the humankind has faced this challenge for long years, there exist a number of erroneous opinions about the disease and its treatment. For example, in a number of cases, cancer is described as a sheer medical problem. In other cases, there are opinions as to cancer being a disease of the old. There exists such a notion that an oncological diagnosis set to a person is a kind of "being doomed to death".

In the modern world, cancer is not only a healthcare problem, but also a problem of the social, economic and ecological spheres, and even education. This disease has disseminated among all age groups, social and economic groups, and in developed and developing countries. Researches show that, provided that a correct and general preventive strategy is built, it is possible to prevent one third of the most widely disseminated type of cancer. Removing the causes of oncological diseases among the population, preliminary diagnostics, correct prophylaxis and treatment of the disease are the focus of attention of the professionals working in this sphere.

Works in this regard are being carried out, as repeatedly mentioned today, in four main directions - choosing a healthy lifestyle, early discovery of the disease, provision of each patient with state-of-the-art treatment methods, and lifting general living standards.

Significant steps have been taken in Azerbaijan during the years of independence. The National Oncological Centre has been established in our country, and the Child Oncological Clinic has been founded, first time in the region. We aim to ensure treatment of our patients, setting early diagnostics of the disease, and using state-of-the-art equipment for its treatment.

Cancer specialists in our republic have reached significant achievements. Nevertheless, as in the whole world, in a number of cases, they are only able to mitigate the pain of the people suffering from this disease. As in a number of countries, based on Azerbaijan's official statistics, oncological diseases are second among the causes of human death in the country.

Each year, 500 thousand people around the globe face this disease. In many cases, the disease is discovered in the final stages of it, which results in the death of a person.

According to information of the World Health Organization, it is expected that the number of people suffering from this disease would increase by more than 50 percent in the next 20 years. Therefore, oncological diseases remain to be one of the most pressing issues for the humankind.

I am confident everyone of us would like to believe that new possibilities and technology to be gained as a result of development in science in the 21st century will allow us to reach a turning point in the treatment of oncological diseases and an efficient means will be found for the treatment of this disease, which has been the cause of death of millions of people.

I once more thank Emine khanum for drawing the attention of the international society to this serious problem.

I wish peace and tranquillity to the brotherly Turkish people. Thank you."