What the article is about:
- The article talks about development of a cancer therapy, and issues with accessibility of treatment.
Relevance:
- GS2: issues relating to development and management of social sector/services relating to health, education, Human Resources.
Analysis:
- The university of Houston announced that its researchers have made significant improvement to a next – generation cancer therapy that kills tumour cells while leaving healthy tissues intact.
How does this therapy work:
- The treatment uses genetically engineered or naturally occurring microbes – oncolytic viruses- that replicate in cancer cells and overwhelm them. The therapy also strengthens the cancer patient’s immune system against the tumour.
Cancer-a scourge of humankind:
- Cancer accounted for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020- before the world was overtaken by the covid pandemic.
- Nearly one in six deaths was cancer- related.
- The two-thirds of all cancer deaths occur in low and middle income countries.
Issues with the accessibility of the treatment:
- The limited reach of this state-of-the-art research (State-of-the-art technology means up-to-date technology reflected in equipment or procedures that, when applied at a major facility, will result in a significant reduction in the probability of a discharge) to low and middle income countries.
- The high cost of modern- day healthcare often mean a devastating financial burden.
- The patent system locks out a large number of people from accessing health care.
Conclusion:
- Cancer treatment should be essential part of conversation, and groundbreaking work in research labs should reach the people who suffer from the disease.
