Kingdom’s annual cancer treatment costs reach JD350m - health minister

AMMAN — The annual cost of cancer treatment in the Kingdom amounts to at least JD350 million, Minister of Health Firas Hawari said during a recent press briefing at the Ministry of Government Communication.

The minister said that cancer cases in Jordan have risen steadily since 2015, with a 40-per-cent increase. 

He also shared detailed statistics to track cancer trends, raise public awareness, and inform interventions aimed at combating one of the leading causes of death in the Kingdom.

The briefing also covered the role of the National Cancer Registry in monitoring and addressing cancer cases. 

Hawari also emphasised that the number of cancer cases is expected to increase by over 50 per cent in the coming years, with around 8,000 new cases reported annually.

The minister also highlighted a significant rise in female smoking rates, which more than doubled between 2004 and 2019, leading to a "noticeable" rise in cancer cases among women in recent years.

Mahmoud Bilal, a physician, told The Jordan Times that there is an "alarming" increase in cancer rates, attributing much of the rise to the country’s high smoking rates. 

"The figures presented by the minister clearly show the well-established link between smoking and cancer," he said.

Bilal also highlighted the ministry’s ongoing efforts to reduce tobacco consumption, noting that 28 tobacco addiction treatment clinics have been established across the country, with a 27 per cent success rate in helping people quit smoking.

Ghazal Azzam, a physician, stressed the importance of early detection and prevention programmes. She said, “Reducing smoking rates is essential if we want to prevent the forecasted surge in cancer cases,” she also highlighted that a stronger focus on prevention is needed to curb the rising trend.