The Sunday News
Walter Mswazie, Masvingo Correspondent
NATIONAL Aids Council (Nac) has lined up fundraising activities in Masvingo to procure 12 cervical cancer screening machines for the province.
Masvingo Nac provincial co-ordinator Mr Edgar Muzulu said his organisation was planning to procure cervical cancer screening machines for Masvingo province and a target was set to raise at least $65 000 from a golf tournament next month.
He said there was a serious challenge facing women living with cervical cancer in the province with a number of them living with the non-communicable disease unknowingly as they do not have access to screening, let alone treatment.
“We will host a golf tournament on 2 June at Masvingo Sport Club, to raise at least $65 000 towards purchasing of cervical cancer screening machines. We are planning to have these machines for 12 health institutions in the province,” said Mr Muzulu.
He said once public hospitals have the machines it would make life easier for women in the province, whose susceptibility to the disease was high.
“Once our district hospitals have these machines, many women will get the opportunity to get screened. We also encourage HIV positive women to undergo similar processes, as there is high risk of developing cervical cancer or any other form of cancer when one’s immunity is compromised,” he said.
Cervical cancer is cancer that begins in the uterine cervix, the lower end of the uterus that contacts the upper vagina.
If detected early, cervical cancer has a very high cure rate.
Vaccination against human papilloma viruses, which are known to cause cervical cancer, is an effective preventive measure.
Cervical cancer remains a common cause of cancer deaths in women in developing countries without access to screening.
First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa, through her Angel of Hope Foundation, has helped more than 8 500 women to undergo cervical cancer screening throughout the country. — @walterbmswazie3
