By Bernadette H. Carreon
Horizon news staff

Sen. Caleb Otto recently attended the Comprehensive Cancer Control Leadership Institutes and Diabetes Control and Tobacco Quitline Conference in Guam last month.
Otto in his trip report said that the Cancer Program/OMUB Coalition/Ministry of Health was responsible for the travel and costs.
He said in the first meeting, the Palau delegation reviewed the National Cancer Strategic Plan for Palau with the view of developing the first annual implementation strategies based on the plan.
He added that in that meeting, there was a sharing of the activities throughout the Micronesian entities.
The meeting he said was facilitated by the Department of Family and Community Medicine/University of Hawaii.
He said that during the meeting he said that the cancer strategies are focused on early detection, encouraging courage, and strength to face illness.
"I believe these are extremely important but there is not enough in really looking to prevent illness from occurring in the first place –not enough in addressing the risk factor," Otto said.
He added that the entities should try to do more for themselves without having to rely too heavily on institutions such as the UH to obtain programs or fund for them.
The second conference on diabetes control and tobacco outline, it said that Guam Lt. Gov. Dr. Mike Cruz spoke on the meeting about the need to focus more on prevention of both diabetes and cancer.
"It is good for Palau to show that support for public health programs exists at the highest level of government," Otto said in his trip report.