COLOMBO, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka said Wednesday that it would launch a five-year national campaign to reduce oral cancer which has emerged as a leading type of cancer in the island country in recent years.

The island-wide campaign will be launched by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention (PTFDP) and the University of Peradeniya.

Director of the PTFDP Samantha Kumara told local media that the national campaign would include an awareness campaign of the harmful effects caused by tobacco, counselling services, cancer detection facilities, home based follow-ups for oral cancer patients and the rehabilitation of tobacco users.

Oral cancer, or cancer in the oral cavity, is one of the leading cancers in Sri Lanka, according to the Center for Research in Oral Cancer at the Dental Sciences Faculty of the University of Peradeniya.

The chewing of areca nut and the consumption of tobacco are the leading causes of oral cancer in Sri Lanka, according to a study.