Tanyaradzwa Cancer Zimbabwe: August 2013

Gynaecologists to lead cancer discussion

From Daily News

HARARE - Top gynaecologists have joined hands to educate Zimbabweans as 32 out of every 100 women are affected by cancer diseases in the country.

Parirenyatwa Hospital head of gynaecological department Professor Chirenje and Sunanda Ray will descend on Book Café this Tuesday to speak on the importance of early regular check-ups and available treatment avenues for cervical cancer.

“The (free) public discussion will be held under the theme ‘Cervical Cancer: Awareness & Survival’ to raise awareness of the need for early diagnosis, counselling, what is available to women of Zimbabwe, and to discuss the urgent need for life-saving information to reach ordinary women everywhere. The discussion is an initiative of Tanyaradzwa Cancer of Zimbabwe, set up by waitress Talent Yakado to help educate and support affected women,” said Pamberi Trust administrator Penny Yon.

Janet Manuhwa and Talent Yakado will line-up to give their chilling accounts on how they beat the disease.

The discussion platform by Pamberi Trust at Book Café is supported by Hivos, Africalia and the European Union.

According to the Cancer Registry, at least 5 000 people are diagnosed of general cancer every year.

Health experts say many women have been presenting themselves late for treatment due to lack of awareness and poverty.

Government is even struggling to provide affordable treatment to cancer patients.

Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (Caz) is on record attributing high incidences of cervical cancer cases and fatalities to poor government support.

According to the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry cervical cancer accounted for 15 percent of all cancer deaths in 2010.

Mavu said despite the general lack of consciousness, poverty has taken a toll on the increase of cancer deaths in the country.

Cancer expert Anna Nyakabau said most of the deaths are preventable if patients present themselves at an opportune time.

Every two minutes in the world, according to the expert, there is a woman dying of cervical cancer.

Reports show that by race, cervical cancer leads among black Zimbabwean women, while skin cancers dominate among non-black women.

Similar to HIV transmission, any woman who is sexually active is vulnerable to cervical cancer.

This year’s cancer campaigns are running under the theme “Early Detection Saves Lives”.

Wilkins, Edith Opperman in Mbare, Highfield and Warren Park are some clinics that currently over free cervical screening. - Wendy Muperi

Cervival Cancer under spotlight at Book Cafe

From Zimbablog

On Tuesday 11 June, a free public discussion on “CERVICAL CANCER: AWARENESS & SURVIVAL” will be held at The Book Cafe from 5.30-7pm, to raise awareness of the need for early diagnosis, counseling, what’s available to women of Zimbabwe, and to discuss the urgent need for life-saving information to reach ordinary women everywhere.

The discussion is an initiative of Tanyaradzwa Cancer of Zimbabwe, set up by waitress Talent Yakado to help educate and support affected women.

Speakers are Professor Chirenje (gynaeocologist) and Dr Sunanda Ray, with testimonies from Janet Manuhwa and Talent Yakado. The discussion will be chaired by powerful gender activist Sally Dura.

A cervical-cancer-survivor herself thanks to timely information and early detection, Talent Yakado is very much aware of the struggles faced by ordinary women of Zimbabwe when it comes to money for health care, and the dire need to disseminate information on what is available in Zimbabwe today. She is aware of how many lives could be saved if women are encouraged to face their fears and seek help in time, and concerned about the need to shout out about it and build the national drive with established partners like Cancer Association and the Ministry of Health.

The Daily News of 3 June carried her story headlined ‘From cancer survivor to cancer campaigner’. Talent is fired up and doing something about it, starting a public awareness campaign of her own with this first discussion. She invites the many patrons, artists, writers, activists and partners, people she has served so well at Book Café over the years – and all people of Harare – to join the discussion and spread the word.

The Tanyaradzwa initiative and their first public discussion are supported by Pamberi Trust’s Gender Programme FLAME (Female Literary, Arts & Music Enterprise). The discussion platform by Pamberi Trust at Book Café is supported by Hivos, Africalia and the European Union.

The discussion is free and all people are welcome.

By Penny Yon

For Pamberi Trust

0772 394 394

Cancer vaccination to be made accessible to girls soon

From The Standard

ZIMBABWE is set to achieve a giant leap in the fight against cervical cancer following the recent approval of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a move which will see teenage girls receiving vaccination against the deadly disease.

By Wellington Zimbowa

Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Portia Manangazira said a pilot programme is set to be rolled out soon in Matabeleland and Mashonaland targeting girls from 10 to 13 years, ahead of the full programme next year.

“I am pleased that government has now availed funding for the cancer vaccine and approved its introduction,” she said.

“The programme will be fully rolled out in 2014 but for now, we are working on how best to prepare for this important national exercise, hence two health centres, one in Marondera and one in Gwanda will be identified for trials.”

Manangazira said upon the full introduction of the programme, vaccination will start from girls aged between nine to 13 years.
She was speaking on the sidelines of a cancer discussion forum at the Book Café organised by Tanyaradzwa Cancer Trust.

Manangazira added that cervical cancer, which is the second cause of high mortality after Kaposi’s sarcoma — another type of cancer — is highly transmitted through sexual intercourse, hence investing in preventative measures targeting young girls was prudent.

“Cervical cancer has some common features with HIV and Aids in that it is highly transmitted through unprotected sex with an infected partner and it lies for years without one knowing.

“Vaccinating young girls is strategic in that sexual debut is unlikely at that time and their immune [system] will be very strong and given that the scourge has no cure yet, this is a positive stride,” she said.

She also said while the government will be funding the exercise, Unicef will be doing the procurement.

Hosted by Tanyaradzwa Cancer Trust, the discussion brought together medical experts Mike Chirenje and doctors Sunanda Rayv and Anna Nyakabau.

It ran under the theme Cervical Cancer: Awareness & Survival in an effort to raise awareness of the need for early diagnosis and counselling especially targeting ordinary women who usually are at the periphery of getting information.

Meanwhile, the Finance ministry this week released US$480 000 for the expansion of storage facilities at Parirenyatwa hospital as the nation moves towards introducing rota virus and HPV vaccines.

ALL WOMEN TO BE INFORMED ABOUT SCREENING PROCEDURES

Talent Yakado, founder of Tanyaradzwa Cancer Trust, herself a cervical cancer survivor, gave a chilling account of how she survived cancer and bemoaned the ignorance among ordinary women about the need for cancer screening and the prohibitive amount being charged for cancer screening.

“There is need to ensure that each woman on the streets knows about cancer screening and my organisation will step-up efforts to lobby government about this critical issue.

“The charges are also prohibitive for the ordinary woman and in my case, I only managed to go for screening and treatment through help by my boss since, as a waitress I could not afford it,” she said.
The 34-year-old mother of three said it was only last year at the birth of her third child that she was found to have HPV strains.

She had to go through the agony of sourcing the consultation and examination fees which were close to US$500, only to be saved by her employer, hence her pledge to lobby for a revision of the policy.

Her sentiments were echoed by the medical experts who noted the public health system leaves much to be desired in the fight against the cancer scourge.