Beware Of Cancer Attacking Indonesian Society

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Cancer is considered to be the most common disease in Indonesia. The most common types are cervical cancer, breast cancer, blood cancer, lung cancer and colon cancer.

Cut Putri Arianie, Director of Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases of the Ministry of Health, asked the public to be aware of this disease. He explained several risk factors for cancer, namely age, gender or heredity, and race or ethnicity in several countries.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, cervical and breast cancer are mostly experienced by women, while lung cancer and colon or colorectal cancer are most common in men, while blood cancer or leukemia is mostly experienced by children.

The number of cancer deaths in the world in 2018 amounted to 9.6 million cases. While in Indonesia in the same year as many as 207,210 cases.

"However, it can be prevented by changing behaviors to be healthier, such as quitting smoking, regular exercise, and eating more fruits and vegetables," Cut said in a statement, Tuesday, January 14.

In the prevention of cancer, the Ministry of Health emphasizes on the four pillars of treatment. The first pillar; related to health promotion, namely through health education to the public, especially related to cancer prevention.

Second pillar; prevention of cancer related to early detection. People who feel that their body is healthy but still have to have regular health checks at a health care facility.

The third pillar; special protection such as vaccinations to prevent cancer that can be caused by viruses. "There is a new cancer vaccination for cervical cancer. This vaccine is given to girls aged 11-12 years," he said.

Fourth pillar; with medication or curative through strengthening the hospital with complete medical facilities and equipment as well as providing qualified doctors.

Launching wartaekonomi.co.id, cancer is one of the catastrophic diseases with the largest absorption of costs in the National Health Insurance-Indonesian Health Card (JKN-KIS) program.

BPJS Health data shows that cancer treatment costs the third largest after heart disease and kidney failure. This data was recorded from 2014 to 2018.

"Especially for cancer, from 2014-2018, the disease has cost Rp. 13.3 trillion of the total cost of catastrophic disease of Rp. 78.3 trillion," said Head of Public Relations of BPJS Kesehatan M Iqbal Anas Ma'ruf, Thursday, September 5, 2019.

He added that cancer is a type of disease that is rarely detected. Usually, this disease is only known after reaching an advanced stage.

Therefore, BPJS Kesehatan actively educates the public to adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as eating a balanced nutritious diet, exercising regularly, getting enough rest, and becoming a JKN-KIS participant while still healthy.

According to him, the burden of cancer costs is like two sides of a coin. On the one hand, more and more people are being helped because they can access health services for cancer treatment. But on the other hand, the burden of health service costs continues to increase from year to year.

"This is our big task, how to control the number of catastrophic sufferers, including cancer," he explained.