Swamped by news of all sorts from all over, most Jamaicans probably missed it. But Wednesday, February 4 was actually World Cancer Day. That’s a marker which really should be crucial for us all, given the devastating impact of cancers here, in the wider Caribbean, and globally.

Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) said on Wednesday that cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the Caribbean, behind cardiovascular (heart) disease. According to CARPHA, in 2022 it recorded 119,000 new cancer cases and more than 66,000 deaths linked to the disease region-wide. Nine Caribbean countries, including Jamaica, were listed among 15 globally with what’s described as the “highest estimated age-standardised incidence rates for prostate cancer” — a leading killer.

The CARPHA statement said: “This significant cancer burden highlights the critical need for robust control policies and reliable surveillance systems capable of generating high-quality data to track trends, guide priorities, and evaluate the impact of cancer prevention and control efforts.”

Beyond that, it seems to us that among the clear needs accentuated by the cancer burden is partnerships to cope with the problem. One such is Guardian General Insurance Jamaica Limited’s recent provision of 250 free cervical cancer screenings for those described as “underserved women” as part of an innovative ongoing initiative.

In 2024, a donation of $1.8 million from the insurance company paid for 300 pap smears. The money is generated from so-called QueenGuard motor insurance premiums which facilitate “critical health screening” for women.

The need for such initiatives is underlined by news that in 2022 cervical cancer was said to be the third-most-common cancer among women in Jamaica, at 376 new cases. That figure was said to have represented nearly 10 per cent of all female cancers that year. Also, cervical cancer was said to have been the second-leading cause of cancer deaths among women.

This all makes Guardian General’s donation — which was received by the Jamaica Cancer Society — significant not only of itself, but by virtue of example to others in corporate Jamaica. The message being that, if there is enough of a caring culture as well as creative thinking, much can be contributed to the greater national good, even in a context of resource constraints.

As the Jamaica Cancer Society tells us: “Partnerships like this bring us closer to the global goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030…”

The point must also be underlined that important as material resources are in dealing with cancer — regardless of type — equally critical is public awareness and willingness to do what’s necessary for early detection. Medical experts insist that regular screening for cancers and other non-communicable diseases can literally be the difference between long life and untimely death.

Unsurprisingly, women, for the most part, are said to be mostly very willing. For them, the cost of screening is probably the biggest obstacle.

For Jamaican men — who are notorious for avoiding and/or delaying visits to the doctor — an added constraint is the homophobic aversion to rectal examinations — considered a relatively reliable and inexpensive way to test prostate health.

Getting the message across to others that following doctors’ advice saves lives should be a given for all well-thinking people.