. . . 8 500 women undergo cervical cancer screening

MORE than 8 500 women have been screened for cervical cancer nationwide since First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa partnered the Ministry of Health and Child Care in a cancer awareness campaign a week ago, the Ministry’s director for Family Health Dr Bernard Madzima has said.

Addressing hundreds of women and Government officials gathered at Kwekwe District Hospital where the First Lady toured the hospital as part of her nationwide cancer awareness campaign on Tuesday, Dr Madzima said the campaign was bearing fruit, as more women were now coming forward for cervical cancer screening.

He said cervical cancer had become one of the highest killer diseases in the world and the move by the First Lady was commendable.

“I would like to applaud the First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa for agreeing to be the champion for Mother and Child Health Programmes in general and champion for the Cervical Cancer Control and Prevention Programme,” said Dr Madzima.

“Since we started working with her, we have screened 8 650 women of cervical cancer, which is a sharp increase from 5 000 during the same period last year.”

Dr Madzima said cervical cancer was becoming the major killer disease, with at least four people dying of the disease daily.

He said the First Lady had embarked on a huge task of cancer awareness campaign, which would save a lot of lives.

“This is a huge, but important task, that our mother has undertaken,” said Dr Madzima. “Many women are reluctant to undergo screening, but statistics have it that over 2 270 women are agonised of cervical cancer, every year four women die from the disease daily.

“Having women screened for cervical cancer helps prevent the disease and this is why the First Lady is on a nationwide campaign, urging women to undergo cervical cancer screening for free.”

The First Lady, who donated food stuffs worth thousands of dollars at Kwekwe District Hospital. She said the Ministry of Health and Child Care mobilised mobile clinics that offered free cervical cancer screening to accompany her to the rural areas.

“Cancer has become a menace and I plead with you women to constantly go for cervical cancer screening so that we save lives,” said the First Lady.

“I have told the Minister of Health and Child Care that I might not be an expert in this field, but I will use my energy to make noise about cancer screening so that I play my part.”

The First Lady said after touring hospitals and clinics in urban areas, she would soon take her campaign to the rural areas.

“We know that in the rural areas, there are people who cannot afford to travel to hospitals to have cervical screening,” she said. “I will soon be visiting rural areas with mobile clinics so that we help women out there.”

The First Lady appealed to hospital personnel to provide a conducive environment to patients, as well as providing them with a balanced diet.

“The reason why I have been making the food donations is because I have realised that our hospital kitchens do not have food good enough for the health of patients,” she said.

“The President is making headway in trying to turn around the economy and very soon these hospitals will have enough food to feed the patients, so as nurses and doctors, we need to be a bit patient.”