STOCKHOLM and PRETORIA,
South
Africa, May 6, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- In Africa, cancer
kills more people than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
combined[1]. Approximately 40 percent of cancer cases can be
prevented[2] and 40 percent can be cured with the right
treatment[3]. Together with Elekta, ministries of health in almost
a dozen African nations are working to build up their radiation
therapy infrastructures and save lives.
More than 50 percent of all cancer patients worldwide would
benefit from radiation therapy[4] during the course of their
disease, either as the sole therapy or in combination with surgery
and chemotherapy. Despite being home to 85 percent of the world's
population, less than 35 percent of the world's radiotherapy
facilities are in low-income countries[5]. Africa is a prime example of the shortfall
that leaves most cancer patients in low-income countries without
access to potentially life-saving radiation therapy treatment.
Ian Alexander, Executive Vice
President of Elekta's Region Europe, Africa, Latin
America and Middle East,
says: "Most sub-Saharan countries lack the facilities and trained
personnel necessary to provide effective prevention, early
detection or adequate treatment of cancer. Elekta is striving to
introduce to these countries value-based health systems that
deliver high-quality care at low total costs."
Access to radiation therapy on the continent has been hampered
by a variety of factors, including education and training. Elekta
is committed to improving these circumstances and is investing
substantially in its Learning and Innovation Center (LINC) training
facility in Cape Town
(South Africa). Here, clinicians
can learn more about the use of linear accelerators, oncology
information systems and treatment planning systems. The company is
also actively working to address the unmet need for radiation
therapy solutions.
"It is totally unacceptable that fewer than half of Africa's cancer patients have access to any
treatment services," Alexander says. "Elekta is determined to
change the outlook for millions of patients in Sub-Saharan Africa,
by providing affordable solutions."
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Facts:
In 2015, Elekta is
engaged in providing cancer management solutions in several
sub-Saharan countries, including:
Angola
Hospital da Casa de
Seguranca de Presidente da Republica Luanda will install a Versa
HD™ linear accelerator (linac), an Elekta Synergy® linac
with Agility and a Flexitron® remote afterloading
platform. The linacs and brachytherapy systems represent the first
such units in Angola.
Kenya
Kenyatta National
Hospital is installing Kenya's first Elekta Synergy Platform
system, which is also the country's first public sector
linac.
Mozambique
Hospital Central de
Maputo will install the country's first Elekta Synergy Platform
linear accelerator and Flexitron remote brachytherapy afterloading
platform.
Namibia
Namibian Oncology
Center is the site of the nation's first-ever linear accelerator,
an Elekta Synergy with Agility.
Senegal
An Elekta Synergy
with Agility will be installed in a new radiotherapy center
currently under construction in Dakar.
South
Africa
The Oncology Centre
(Durban), a clinic of Equra Healthcare, has begun treating patients
with the country's first Versa HD system. Equra also is using
MOSAIQ® Oncology Information System at 26 sites with
remote treatment planning, uniting all sites under a single
database and making it the single largest MOSAIQ cluster in the
world.
In September 2015,
Inkosi Albert Lathuli Central Hospital, Durban, will begin the
clinical use of two Versa HD linacs together with
MOSAIQ.
Uganda
Mulago University
Hospital is installing Uganda's first brachytherapy system, an
Elekta Flexitron remote afterloading platform.
Zimbabwe
Harare Onco Care will
site an Elekta Synergy system with Agility. The customer has five
hospitals and is planning to become the leading provider of private
radiotherapy services in the country.
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For further information, please contact:
Gert van Santen, Group Vice President Corporate
Communications, Elekta AB
Tel: +31 653 561 242, e-mail: gert.vansanten@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
Kris Walmsley, Corporate
Communications Manager, Elekta
AB
Tel: +46 70 537 9545, e-mail:
kris.walmsley@elekta.com
Time zone: CET: Central European Time
About Elekta
Elekta is a human care company
pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for
treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops
sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning
systems for radiation therapy, radiosurgery and brachytherapy, as
well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of
cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology,
providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer
confidence to both health care providers and patients, Elekta aims
to improve, prolong and even save patient lives.
Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in
over 6,000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3,800
employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in
Stockholm, Sweden, and the company
is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. Website: www.elekta.com.
[1] World Health Organization
[2] UICC, World Cancer Day fact sheet
[3] IAEA, Inequity in Cancer Care: A Global Perspective
[4] International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics:
Bringing Global Access to Radiation Therapy: Time for a Change in
Approach
[5] IAEA, Inequity in Cancer Care: A Global Perspective
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elekta-to-bring-cancer-treatment-to-millions-in-africa-300078672.html
SOURCE Elekta