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Bhutan's Cancer Fight: Rapid Tests Aid Early Detection
28 Aug
Summary
- Bhutan is tackling gastric cancer with rapid H. pylori tests.
- Japanese support is training Bhutanese doctors in endoscopy.
- Over 70% of Bhutanese people were infected with H. pylori.
Bhutan is enhancing its fight against gastric cancer through a collaborative project with Oita University. This initiative supports the local production of rapid tests for Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium associated with the disease.
In fiscal 2021, a five-year project, funded with 500 million yen, began. It aims to develop cost-effective rapid test kits for H. pylori from stool samples. The Royal Centre for Disease Control in Thimphu is set to produce these kits, facilitating early detection of infections.
Furthermore, the project is significantly increasing the number of doctors trained in performing endoscopies. Japanese specialists have been traveling to Bhutan for training, and Bhutanese endoscopists have visited Japan. This has raised the number of endoscopists from just one in 2010 to 24 by the project's progress.
These combined efforts, including the development of rapid H. pylori testing and enhanced endoscopic capabilities, are crucial for early diagnosis. The goal is to shift gastric cancer from a disease with a near-certain mortality rate to one that is curable through timely detection.
