Cancer is a major public health burden in Bangladesh, with an estimated 200,000 new cases diagnosed each year (Shamsi, 2021). The country has a population of over 160 million people, and the incidence of cancer is expected to increase in the coming years due to population growth and aging (World Health Organization, 2020).
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the leading cause of death among adults in Bangladesh, accounting for an estimated 13.5% of all deaths in 2020. The most common types of cancer in Bangladesh are breast cancer, lung cancer, and oral cancer (Hussain, 2013). The prognosis for cancer patients in Bangladesh is challenging, with limited access to advanced treatment options and comprehensive care facilities impacting overall survival outcomes. The main barriers to cancer care in Bangladesh include lack of awareness, lack of access to treatment facilities, and high costs of treatment. Despite the high prevalence of cancer, Bangladesh has a limited number of cancer treatment facilities. There is only one government-run cancer hospital in the country, and the private sector has not been able to meet the growing demand for cancer care, leading to a stark divide between patients and the treatment they require.
Ms Tasmia Tahmid, an international humanitarian surgeon, has been instrumental in revolutionising breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in Bangladesh for over a decade. Alongside her role as a Locum Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, she has established Tasmia Tahmid Breast Care in Lalmatia, Dhaka. Thirteen years ago, she introduced the concepts of triple assessment and core needle biopsy to Dhaka for the first time, significantly advancing local breast cancer care. Through her dedicated service, Ms Tahmid has changed the lives of over 10,000 women and their families. She takes pride in offering heavily discounted prices for patients from rural areas and those in dire financial straits, who have waited long periods for expert care. Her experience in Bangladesh, contrasting sharply with her NHS work in the UK, has exposed her to a wide variety of cases, including rare pathologies like breast TB and inflammatory breast cancer. These uncommon presentations provide valuable learning opportunities, which she believes would greatly benefit UK trainees. Ms Tahmid balances her time with a joint practice, offering services for one week per month in Bangladesh and three weeks per month in the UK. She is committed to expanding the scale of her work, aiming to provide regular and sustainable clinical and academic services to Bangladesh, thereby addressing the clear disparity in medical training and access between the two locations. The TACHRC (Tasmia Asif Cancer Hospital and Research Centre CIC) in the UK is established as a not-for-profit community interest company, set up to support this work, with the primary focus on the provision of training staff in cancer care. The TACHRC facilitates international staff visiting Bangladesh, and likewise Bangladesh medical professionals spending time in international institutions.
The objective of this CIC is to raise the levels of cancer care in Bangladesh, through the sharing of facilities, equipment, knowledge, training and research.
It does this specifically by:
- Raising funds in support of the building, development and maintenance of the TACHRC hospital.
- Raising funds to equip and maintain the TACHRC hospital.
- Supporting the improvement of cancer care across Bangladesh through the improvement of training, and care of patients.
- Supports the training needs of medical staff across Bangladesh through training of medical professionals.
- Facilitates the rotation of staff from international facilities, and from Bangladesh to international institutions for the purpose of improving overall health care.
- Introduction and provision of screening services for a range of cancer services (on any site).
- The general improvement of medical and cancer services in Bangladesh.
- Appointment of members to the Board of the TACHRC Bangladesh Foundation Board.