Around 1,800 people affected by Cancer every year

Speaking at the President’s Palace in Valletta, Coleiro Preca said that according to Eurostat figures, around 1,800 people are affected by some form of the terrible disease on a yearly basis, and that Malta is lucky to have so many different NGO’s to support patients and families going through the various kinds of cancers that exist.

“According to Eurostat figures over 300 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, over 140 men and 70 women are diagnosed with lung cancer, around 160 men are affected by prostate cancer and around 120 men and women suffer from colorectal cancer. These figures give a general idea of the number of families that go through suffering due to cancer.”

Coleiro Preca addressed the audience after a series of NGOs told their stories, to launch the National Cancer Platform, which will be the first of its kind in Malta. The platform is a group of eleven NGOs that will collaborate to offer cancer patients and their families the necessary support. The associations participating in the platform are Action for Breast Cancer, Aurora Support Service, Europa Donna Malta, Hospice Malta, Karl Vella Foundation, Lumiere Support Group, Malta Community Chest Fund, Malta Health Network, Malta Cancer Awareness Group, The Ostomy Club and Puttinu Cares.

She called the groups “an example of unity” against the terrible disease and said that the newly launched platform would serve to bring such associations together to improve their effectiveness in the face of cancer.

Coleiro Preca praised the support offered to sufferers and relatives. “We tend only think of physical suffering but in reality consequences are much deeper,” she said.

“Families who lose a member to cancer also go on to face a multitude of hardships – social, educational and financial, with some families ending up in poverty or at the risk of poverty in order to be able to pay for the costly treatment.”

The platform aims to bring cancer-related groups and associations together while retaining their independent and specific aims, to collaborate in their efforts to provide a good support service to patients and relatives. It will be giving out educational literature to families as well as starting a helpline, run by the Malta Community Chest Fund, in the name of all participating associations. A website which contains information about the various associations is also planned.

Proposals for future projects include drop-in centres to offer support to patients and their families, media campaigns to reach out to people who may benefit from these services and a calendar that features events related to cancer to ensure better coordination in the dates and aims of the project. 

Speaking at the President’s Palace in Valletta, Coleiro Preca said that according to Eurostat figures, around 1,800 people are affected by some form of the terrible disease on a yearly basis, and that Malta is lucky to have so many different NGO’s to support patients and families going through the various kinds of cancers that exist.

“According to Eurostat figures over 300 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, over 140 men and 70 women are diagnosed with lung cancer, around 160 men are affected by prostate cancer and around 120 men and women suffer from colorectal cancer. These figures give a general idea of the number of families that go through suffering due to cancer.”

Coleiro Preca addressed the audience after a series of NGOs told their stories, to launch the National Cancer Platform, which will be the first of its kind in Malta. The platform is a group of eleven NGOs that will collaborate to offer cancer patients and their families the necessary support. The associations participating in the platform are Action for Breast Cancer, Aurora Support Service, Europa Donna Malta, Hospice Malta, Karl Vella Foundation, Lumiere Support Group, Malta Community Chest Fund, Malta Health Network, Malta Cancer Awareness Group, The Ostomy Club and Puttinu Cares.

She called the groups “an example of unity” against the terrible disease and said that the newly launched platform would serve to bring such associations together to improve their effectiveness in the face of cancer.

Coleiro Preca praised the support offered to sufferers and relatives. “We tend only think of physical suffering but in reality consequences are much deeper,” she said.

“Families who lose a member to cancer also go on to face a multitude of hardships – social, educational and financial, with some families ending up in poverty or at the risk of poverty in order to be able to pay for the costly treatment.”

The platform aims to bring cancer-related groups and associations together while retaining their independent and specific aims, to collaborate in their efforts to provide a good support service to patients and relatives. It will be giving out educational literature to families as well as starting a helpline, run by the Malta Community Chest Fund, in the name of all participating associations. A website which contains information about the various associations is also planned.

Proposals for future projects include drop-in centres to offer support to patients and their families, media campaigns to reach out to people who may benefit from these services and a calendar that features events related to cancer to ensure better coordination in the dates and aims of the project. 

Speaking at the President’s Palace in Valletta, Coleiro Preca said that according to Eurostat figures, around 1,800 people are affected by some form of the terrible disease on a yearly basis, and that Malta is lucky to have so many different NGO’s to support patients and families going through the various kinds of cancers that exist.

“According to Eurostat figures over 300 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, over 140 men and 70 women are diagnosed with lung cancer, around 160 men are affected by prostate cancer and around 120 men and women suffer from colorectal cancer. These figures give a general idea of the number of families that go through suffering due to cancer.”

Coleiro Preca addressed the audience after a series of NGOs told their stories, to launch the National Cancer Platform, which will be the first of its kind in Malta. The platform is a group of eleven NGOs that will collaborate to offer cancer patients and their families the necessary support. The associations participating in the platform are Action for Breast Cancer, Aurora Support Service, Europa Donna Malta, Hospice Malta, Karl Vella Foundation, Lumiere Support Group, Malta Community Chest Fund, Malta Health Network, Malta Cancer Awareness Group, The Ostomy Club and Puttinu Cares.

She called the groups “an example of unity” against the terrible disease and said that the newly launched platform would serve to bring such associations together to improve their effectiveness in the face of cancer.

Coleiro Preca praised the support offered to sufferers and relatives. “We tend only think of physical suffering but in reality consequences are much deeper,” she said.

“Families who lose a member to cancer also go on to face a multitude of hardships – social, educational and financial, with some families ending up in poverty or at the risk of poverty in order to be able to pay for the costly treatment.”

The platform aims to bring cancer-related groups and associations together while retaining their independent and specific aims, to collaborate in their efforts to provide a good support service to patients and relatives. It will be giving out educational literature to families as well as starting a helpline, run by the Malta Community Chest Fund, in the name of all participating associations. A website which contains information about the various associations is also planned.

Proposals for future projects include drop-in centres to offer support to patients and their families, media campaigns to reach out to people who may benefit from these services and a calendar that features events related to cancer to ensure better coordination in the dates and aims of the project. 

Most of the NGOs spoke about their mission, and about their own personal experiences. The Karl Vella Foundation for instance, was set up after the passing of Karl Vella in February last year, to provide educational and psychological support to children who experience the illness within their families. The foundation will start operating in the coming months and it will welcome pre-registered children between the ages of 5 and 17 years of age and offer them with educational and social help to face this difficult period. A representative for the male cancer Awareness Group also spoke about his personal experience. After suffering from the disease himself, the representative decided to create a Facebook page, in the hope that it would encourages men to speak more openly about cancer, as they seem to be very reserved on the subject. The representative for Aurora support service which is led by nurses, spoke about the chemotherapy classes they provide to inform newly diagnosed patients about the side effects of chemotherapy, and beauty days to provide patients with pampering make-up sessions and treatments for well-being. The Puttinu Cares Foundation spoke about the efforts being made to cater for children and families who have to travel to the UK for treatment.

All the organisations involved in the platform spoke about the various services offered by their group and their work in their specific area of expertise.