Medical doctor Dr. Velda Wade says Dominica is currently home to approximately 300 people living with cancer, a figure she described as deeply concerning for a country with a relatively small population.
Dr. Wade shared the statistics while delivering remarks as a guest speaker at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Dominica Cancer Society, held recently at the UWI Global Campus.
“We have approximately 300 cancer patients in Dominica. That includes some in remission, some actively undergoing chemotherapy, others at the end stage of their lives, and some were in the process of being diagnosed,” she said. “Because of the health and financial implication of cancer, 300 cases in a small population like ours, in my own words, is an epidemic.”
She said the number of cases should serve as a wake-up call, describing the situation as both alarming and heartbreaking.
“This is dangerous,” she remarked. “It is heartbreaking.”
Dr. Wade went on to characterize the issue as a challenge affecting not only Dominica but the wider region and the global community.
“This is a nation under attack, a region under attack, a world of trouble,” she said, urging citizens to consider the role they can play in addressing the growing burden of the disease. “What are we going to do? What are you going to do?”
Highlighting the importance of prevention, Dr. Wade pointed to data from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which indicate that up to 40 percent of cancer cases worldwide could be prevented.
“This means if we change our environmental and infectious risk factors, we each have the power to prevent 40 percent of all cancers,” she said, underscoring the need for greater public awareness, preventive health measures, and collective action to reduce the impact of cancer in Dominica.
