Beyond cigarettes: How shisha, asbestos, air pollution escalate lung cancer risks in Tanzania
Health experts in Tanzania are highlighting the significant risks of lung cancer beyond cigarette smoking, including shisha use, air pollution, and industrial chemical exposure. The report emphasizes that lung cancer is largely preventable through lifestyle changes and environmental awareness.
Why it matters
Public health education regarding non-tobacco carcinogens is vital for reducing cancer mortality rates in developing nations.
Dar es Salaam. Health experts have reiterated the importance of adopting preventive measures against lung cancer, which remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality globally.
International health statistics indicate that lung cancer accounts for nearly one in every five cancer deaths worldwide.
Despite the disease being largely preventable, experts warn that the use of tobacco products, including cigarettes and shisha, remains the primary driver of rising case numbers, alongside ambient air pollution, exposure to industrial chemicals, radon gas, and hazardous workplace environments.
The warnings come as health institutions mark World Lung Cancer Day, observed annually on August 1.
Extensive clinical research demonstrates that tobacco smoking is linked to over 90 percent of all lung cancer diagnoses.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in