Reducing social inequality and safeguarding the environment are key to reducing the ever-increasing incidence of cancer in Malta, according to President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca.

“Poor health often emerges from poor social conditions, not lack of will to lead a healthy life. We must urgently prioritise measures against poverty and inequality to ensure that our health system leaves nobody behind,” the President said during a conference in Valletta marking World Cancer Day.

Ms Coleiro Preca also highlighted the health impacts of environmental issues such as air pollution and pesticides, calling for more research into the effects and more natural means of food production.

This morning’s conference was organised by the National Cancer Platform, which brings together 13 local organisations active in the field.

During the conference, Christian Scerri, head of the physiology and biochemistry department at the University of Malta, also provided a run-down of the cancer research being carried out by Maltese scientists.

This research, he said had the potential to make a significant contribution to global progress despite Malta’s limited size and resources.

Several research teams are currently exploring different techniques in preventing, detecting and treating cancer more effectively. Issues being addressed include drugs that can target cancer cells more directly, with fewer side-effects, to activating the body’s own defence mechanisms.

A team led by Prof. Scerri and Godfrey Grech has also made progress in successfully identifying the most common sub-types of breast cancer, which will allow for more effectively targeted therapies to be developed.

Prof. Scerri called for more public support for often-neglected genetics research, which he said was vital for researchers to secure necessary funding and continue their work.