Four Coast Guard officers die of cancer in four years

Four officers of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) Coast Guard have died of cancer over the last four years.

On Saturday, Ali Nasheed, 48, a staff sergeant at the Coast Guard, died of a cancerous brain tumor at the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

The sailor had been seeking treatment from hospitals both local and overseas for the last three years. He was a senior mechanic and had served in numerous technical sea duties onboard in a military career spanning over 30 years.

Ali is survived by his wife and three children.

He is the fourth Coast Guard officer to die of cancer since 2021.

He followed Ali Sujau, 39, who died of cancer on September 7, 2021.

Meanwhile, another Coast Guard officer, Ali Murtaza, 38, died of cancer on February 2, 2022, and Mohamed Junaid died of cancer on January 22.

Sun has been informed that all four officers died following battles with different types of cancer.

The MNDF was not immediately available for comment regarding the deaths.

The Maldives has seen an alarming rise in cancer cases in recent years. According to a report compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2020, cancer accounts for 17 percent of deaths in the Maldives.

The most common types of cancer in the Maldives includes breast cancer, lung cancer, blood cancer, thyroid cancer and prostate cancer.

Cancer is the second leading cause of deaths globally, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths or nearly one in six deaths annually.

Research shows that 40 percent of cancers are linked to unhealthy lifestyles choices such as smoking and other avoidable factors.