The Ministry of Health is making efforts to re-vitalise the fight against cancer, which according to Minister Jerry Narace is among the top three leading causes of death locally and internationally.

During Saturday’s Annual Ball of the Brian Lara Cancer Treatment Foundation at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, Narace in the feature address outlined several initiatives to lower the casualty statistics of the deadly disease.

Narace said the Government has undertaken several efforts to combat cancer, including the upgrade of the National Radiotherapy Centre in St James, which he said was the ’most comprehensive’ public facility in the region.

He also repeated the Ministry’s intention to re-commence the National Oncology Centre in January. He said Cabinet also recently approved the National Health Service, which will include a catastrophe fund.

He said the Ministry is also committed to a national awareness drive for prevention and early detection, as well as motivating citizens to get tested, and more available treatment.

’Here in Trinidad and Tobago the incidence of cancer continues to rise with close to 2,000 new cases annually, with 60 per cent of those being fatal,’ Narace said.

The Health Ministry has also contributed $2 million to the T&T Cancer Society, and has begun colposcopy training for cyto-technicians and obstetricians at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, in Mt Hope for the screening of cervical cancer, Narace said.

Saturday’s event was expected to have raised more than $350,000 in the fight against cancer, with former West Indies batting star Brian Lara auctioning off three of his prized bats-used to set his individual World Test and first class innings records of 375, 400 not out and 501 not out respectively-for a year, raising $125,000 for the Foundation in the process.