The Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) has initiated measures to examine agricultural farms on B. Goidhoo due to an increase in cancer incidents on the island.

In a press briefing today from the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare, Minister Maryam Mariya revealed that MFDA has initiated inspections and testing to determine the cause.

Worries regarding a surge in cancer instances on Goidhoo, an island engaged in extensive agricultural practices, were initially expressed by a citizen named Shahula Wajeeh.

Shahula's Facebook post from December last year stated that non-communicable diseases are increasing in Goidhoo, an island home to roughly 500 residents. Among these, cancer stands out as particularly prevalent, she remarked.

In the last five years, there have been 9 new cancer cases reported on the island, with 3 individuals having succumbed to the illness, Shahula stated.

She expressed worries that approximately 95 percent of the island's farms are managed by foreign nationals, claiming that many employ pesticides and chemicals at quantities that may pose risks to human health.

During the press conference today, Minister Mariya stated that while there is a law regarding pesticide use, efforts to create the necessary policies under that law commenced only last month.

"We are optimistic that, if God permits, these measures will be put into action in the near future," she stated.