Cancer treatment facilities planned for every divisional city, says state minister for health
The government has decided to build cancer treatment facilities in every divisional city of Bangladesh. It has also decided to establish a National Molecular Biology Laboratory to advance cancer biology and modern medical science, State Minister for Health Dr M A Muhit has said.
He announced the decisions on Friday (13 November) at noon while speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of the 6th Bangladesh Breast Cancer Conference 2026 (BBC26) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital. The conference was organised by the Bangladesh Society for Breast Cancer Study (BSBCS).
In his speech, the state minister placed the highest emphasis on detecting breast cancer at an early stage. He said many women in Bangladesh die of breast cancer every year, and research shows that most patients seek medical help only at an advanced stage of the disease.
The later the disease is detected, the greater the risk of complications and of it spreading through the body, he said. Yet cancer is no longer a fatal disease; in particular, if breast cancer is detected at the very earliest stage and treated properly, the death rate is very low and patients can live healthily for a long time.
Highlighting the need for regular screening programmes for women of specific ages, Dr M A Muhit said widespread public awareness must be created and targeted screening programmes introduced to detect breast cancer early. If screening is done correctly, the risk or symptoms of the disease can be caught at the very initial stage, he said.
Outlining the government’s plans for modern treatment technology and skilled manpower, the state minister said the use of molecular biology techniques in cancer treatment is bringing major change worldwide. To improve the health system of the future, the government has decided to establish a National Molecular Biology Laboratory at the national level, and work on it has already begun, he said.
He added that, alongside the purchase of modern equipment for cancer institutes, programmes are under way to train new cancer specialists and skilled manpower at home and abroad.
The inaugural session, chaired by BSBCS president Professor Dr Kamruzzaman Chowdhury, was addressed with a welcome speech by the conference’s organising secretary Dr Md Arifur Rahman, while BSBCS general secretary Dr Arunangshu Das presented the society’s activities over the past year and the conference’s main theme.
UNFPA Bangladesh representative Catherine Breen Kamkong and US specialists Professor Dr Ismail Jatoi and Professor Dr Don S. Dizon spoke as special guests. BSBCS patrons Professor Dr M. A. Hai and Professor Dr Md Sanowar Hossain also addressed the event.
