Cancer is not discriminative, says newly appointed President of the Fiji Cancer Society Makrava Wilson.

He was appointed during their Annual General Meeting in Suva yesterday.

Mr Wilson said he was ready to face any challenges that may come his way but needed the public to also do their part.

“Our biggest challenge right now is to ensure that the public as well as kids gets early checkup.

Early diagnosis is what helps prevent these deaths that we know and cancer is one of the biggest Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) issues that we face right now,” Mr Wilson said.

“The youngest person who is a cancer patient is a five months old baby. Cancer doesn’t care if you are old or your gender. I would suggest to all the people out there is to get checked.

“We plead with the general public come forward to where we are. I want to thank the new board members that have come onboard.

We have all come from different ranges of work that we do so I am glad that it is going to help me support the board in the task ahead of us.”

Mr Wilson said the youngest adult cancer patient was a 17-year-old.

“There are a lot of people out there who are being ignorant to the campaigns that we are doing despite the fact that we are going out to the communities and asking for people to come forward,” he said.

“There are some who are hesitant because of the fact that they would be told that they may have contacted cancer.

They have been reserved and on the other hand we have people that have existing signs of cancer who go out and look for some preventative methods elsewhere.

“When the cancer is at an untreatable stage then they are running to hospitals and it makes the work for us quite difficult.

“I want to ensure the public that if they should need help there is the Fiji Cancer Society, Golden Oldies, Wow’s Kids and the Ministry of Health.

“ All they need to do is knock on the door and just walk in and get yourselves checked.”

New Appointment:

• President- Makrava Wilson

• Vice President- Jinesh Patel

• Secretary- Releshni Karan

• Treasurer- Samantha Kenny

• Board members: Natasha Ah Sam, Inoke Bainimarama, Nirmala Nambiar, Margaret Rounds, Maggie Erbslben, Josephine Oyagawaya, Pacolo Luveni, Milika Marshal and Antonio Takala.

Edited by Susana Tuilau