It Wouldn’t Cost a Lot

Basic cancer-fighting measures—for as little as $1.72 per person—could save hundreds of thousands of lives in poor countries, according toresearch published yesterday in The Lancet.

The Numbers:

• Nearly 800,000 women die of cervical and breast cancer every year.
• 2/3 of breast cancer deaths, and 9 out of 10 cervical cancer deaths occur in developing countries.
• Vaccinating girls in poor countries against human papilloma virus (HPV) over 4 years could prevent 600,000 cervical cancer deaths.

The Quote: "There is a widespread misconception that breast and cervical cancers are too difficult and expensive to prevent and treat, particularly in resource-poor countries where the burden of these diseases is highest," said the University of Toronto’s Ophira Ginsburg … "But nothing could be further from the truth.”
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation