Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-02-14

Entering into a Collaborative Research Agreement with the International Agency for Research on Cancer

- The crude incidence rate of cancer patients in Sri Lanka in the year 1985 shows 31.6 for per population of 100,000 and it has risen up to 82.1 for per population of 100,000 by the year 2010. When taking measures for controlling cancer, the proper maintenance of population based cancer registers on all types of cancers is highly important. In Sri Lanka, a cancer register at the national level is maintained since 1985 and a population based cancer register has also been established for the Colombo district since 2012.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer has recommended that, the cancer registers in Sri Lanka can be further expanded, based on the population. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to enter into a Collaborative Research Agreement between the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, with a view to obtaining the required technical assistance for the purpose, was approved by the Cabinet.