Cancer rates are declining on the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius, thanks in part to free breast cancer screening.
Cancer cases decreased by 3.3% from 2017 to 2018, according to a press release from the World Health Organization (WHO). Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the country.
Mauritius has taken actions to bolster its National Cancer Prevention and Control Programme to achieve universal health coverage and reduce premature death from cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.
The country offers free cancer screenings and is one of the few African countries to provide the infrastructure and facilities for cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the WHO noted. Mauritius also plans to open a new specialized cancer care hospital with modern equipment and specialized medical services in Vacoas-Phoenix.
