Two years ago, on days like today, we would stand before the throne of cancer, the emperor of all diseases, with fear and awe. That was the case for many years. Today, a new visitor has come to Earth and is fighting for cancer's throne. It is COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
The difference between the two diseases is massive. COVID-19 is temporary. It kills, causes suffering and destroys, but in the end, it will end after a year or two at most. As for cancer, it is a disease that will remain, torturing, killing and crushing human dignity. Nonetheless, one thing that both diseases have in common is the vast gap between the knowledge that we have accumulated about them through scientific research on the one hand and our understanding of how to use it to protect humans and treat the sick on the other.
Today, we know enough to prevent more than 75 percent of cancers and fully cure more than 60 percent of patients.
However, we use less than 8 percent of all the knowledge we have accumulated to treat and prevent cancer. Take prevention, for example. One-third of cancer patients became sick because of smoking. The question here is, what have we done in this regard to rid ourselves of this scourge? Another third of other cancers are caused by bacterial infections, such as frequent infections in the liver, bladder, and digestive system. If these infections are treated with antibiotics early on, they are prevented from progressively turning into cancers. The newly developed human papillomavirus vaccine prevents cervical cancer in women because it protects them from bacterial infections in the cervix that cause cancer.
The recent progress in cancer treatment has been astonishing. Chemotherapy has evolved, as have targeted therapy and the newly discovered immunotherapy. Nonetheless, the problem of access to these modern treatments remains. Full recovery from cancer hinges on three factors: the type of disease, time of detection, and the quality of treatment. Regarding early detection, we still have a long way to go.
A new problem has recently arisen, the necessity of diagnosing the disease based on genomic profiling. In the past, we used to treat patients based on their microscopic profiling, that is, how the disease appears under the microscope. But today, this is no longer enough. Genomic profiling, as well as microscopic profiling, have become necessary. Without these two processes, formulating the treatment strategies that lead to full recovery becomes difficult. To our great misfortune, genomic profiling laboratories are not available in most countries of the world.
In terms of treatment, instead of curing 60% of all patients, we cure less than 10% today. This means that 50% of all patients are dying, not because medical science has not developed the necessary treatment, but because patients cannot access the best treatments. There is a secret to treating these diseases. The difference between traditional treatments and better treatments could be the difference between life and death. Many obstacles prevent optimal treatment. Among these obstacles are insurance companies, states' health policies, and the high cost of medicine.
Over the past two years, the world witnessed unprecedented developments. The entire world was threatened by a new virus that had not been known before, an enemy that does not discriminate between one person and another, rich or poor, black or white, etc. This enemy has had the globe in its grip, killing over six million people so far. The pandemic was a manifestation of the failure of health policies around the world and of mankind's lack of recognition for the central position that health occupies in our lives.
However, at the same time, this pandemic has exhibited the greatness of science and the power of scientific/medical research. Within the span of a year, scientists had developed several efficacious vaccines that protect humans against infection, as well as multiple treatments that alleviate the symptoms of the disease and make it less lethal. These vaccines and medical treatments are a triumph of scientific research, a symbol of science's power and its significance for supporting humanity and safeguarding people's lives and dignity.
Conversely, we saw major policy failures as states around the were not equipped to deter this new enemy. States that consider themselves civilized, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, have put precise and astronomically costly policies in place to prevent a nuclear attack. However, no serious policies aimed at preventing biological threats like this pandemic were instilled. As for the World Health Organization, which was founded by the United Nations with the specific goal of protecting humanity from disease, it has not fulfilled its role effectively. This organization failed to detect this disease early, contain it, or determine its origins. As science developed vaccines and treatments, the WHO also fell short in delivering these vaccines and treatments to impoverished countries.
All the fear, disease, and death we humans have suffered under this pandemic must not simply be left unnoticed. Yes, this pandemic has been a genuine tragedy, but the bigger tragedy is allowing this pandemic to go by without having learned anything. However, what is there to be learned? We can learn the following two things:
First, there is a massive gap between what we know in absolute terms and the knowledge we place at the service of mankind. Thus, health policies and well-defined mechanisms should be put in place such that we can place the entire body of this knowledge we have at the service of the entirety of mankind – not just a fraction of it.
Second, I hope we have learned that one's health is the most valuable asset that a person has and that the development of healthcare must be a top priority for every state and society around the world. Moreover, international law must be developed such that the right to health becomes the most important of all human rights. The significance of the rights included in international laws, combined, does not amount to the greater importance of the right to health, which is akin to the right to life.
A human being must be alive to enjoy the conventional rights elaborated on by the UN Charter. Life comes first, then rights, as there can be no rights without life.
