 Fellow St. Lucians, every year on February 4th, St. Lucia joins the rest of the world to observe World Cancer Day. This annual observance brings to light this leading threat to health and well-being. Cancer has for decades been a leading cause of illness and death and in 2020 it's accounted for nearly 10 million deaths worldwide. No part of our globe has been spared the impact of cancer. St. Lucia being no exception, information from the Ministry of Health has informed us that between 2018 and 2020 over 3,700 new cases of cancer were diagnosed, among these being prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. In 2020 alone, 1,274 lives were lost to cancer in St. Lucia. These people who unfortunately lost their lives are our family, our relatives, our friends in the workplace, they are in our communities, our churches, and in other organizations to which we belong. We all know someone who has been impacted by cancer. Some of you who are listening or watching this message are living with and bravely battling cancer at this very moment. Cancer also increases levels of stress in patients and families, contributes to decreases in productivity, and is expensive to treat all over the world, therefore it puts a major strain on personal finances and family incomes. The good news is, action can be taken to reduce risk and impact of cancer. It is possible to prevent, detect, treat and manage most cancers. It is important therefore for all St. Lucia's to join our fight against cancer without rest. This year's theme is Close the Care Gap. A three-year campaign which started this year 2022 will focus on reducing barriers to care. These will also be aimed at improving knowledge and creating an environment of empathy and support for people who are living with cancer. The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Early Affairs will further strengthen the focus of the theme by adding a national sub-theme, show concern for cancer. Through this element, we are firstly encouraged to demonstrate sensitivity and compassion to those who are journeying with a cancer diagnosis, and secondly to be mindful to take actions in our daily lives that protect us from the various types of cancers. Some actions which we can take are the following, increase daily levels of physical activity in tobacco use, reduce over time the number of alcoholic drinks which you take, engage in activities which reduce stress as well as limit the consumption of salt, fats and added sugars. As a Ministry of Health, we remain committed to promoting health and protecting life. There are clearly established risk factors which contribute to increase risk for cancer. We continue to strengthen cancer prevention and control programs, particularly as they relate to promoting and improving access to cancer screening services and other diagnostic services. This Friday, February 4th, we encourage cancer survivors, caregivers and concerned citizens to upload videos or photos to your social media platforms, share personal experiences or share what you do to lower your risk of cancer and to show solidarity with those mounting the personal fight against cancer. Include the hashtags, close the care gap or show concern for cancer. I commend and thank all the organizations and individuals who continue to give time and resources to the battle against cancer. The cancer society and faces of cancer have joined many others to educate and treat our people. This Saturday, February 5th, the organization Faces of Cancer will be providing free testing and screening services at the Belvey Human Resource Center. I invite people from VFORN North and neighboring communities to access the services. Thank you Faces of Cancer, Senwisha. We stand and hold the hands of those who have been diagnosed with various types of cancer and let us all do our part to better prevent, detect and manage cancer. Join me. Join us. Let us show even more concern for cancer. I thank you.