By Tendai Chisiri
MOUNT DARWIN – About 300 people flocked to Karanda Mission Hospital last Friday for a cancer awareness, screening and patient support outreach jointly held by Cancerserve Zimbabwe and Miracle Mission Vimba, in partnership with other healthcare stakeholders.
The outreach drew people from as far as Gweru and Chitungwiza, while others travelled long distances from remote areas of Mashonaland Central. Some slept overnight at the hospital waiting for services.
Cancerserve Founder and Director Dr. Anna Mary Nyakabau said the turnout showed the urgent need for cancer services in rural areas.
Speaking to the media and providing individual patient support during the outreach, Dr. Nyakabau stressed that early detection remains key because many cancers show no symptoms at the early stage.
“The worst journey of cancer disease is that when it is too early, there may be no symptoms. This is where we talk about screening and self awareness, and also even going for checks,” she said.
“Men go for examinations. We are doing prostate specific antigen, in short PSA. Women going for VIAC, pap smear. Women examining themselves to see if they are breast lumps. Men check themselves seeing if their urine system is working normally. Because if there is a problem, one should not just sit on the problem. It is imperative to attend to the problem. I think people should try to love themselves.”
Dr. Nyakabau also highlighted the link between HIV and cancer, citing Kaposi sarcoma as an example of a disease that declined with the rollout of antiretrovirals.
“Through anti-retroviral therapy, in fact studies have shown that the prevalence of Kaposi sarcoma to literally it is no longer an issue. So it means as Zimbabwe, we have the aptitude of working to control diseases… the cancer problem is something that we are going to tackle and overcome.”
Oncology specialist Dr. Kudzai Makova, who also provided patient support at the outreach, said Zimbabwe diagnoses less than 300,000 cancer cases a year according to the cancer registry.
He said one of the biggest challenges clinicians face is late presentation.
“One of the greatest challenges we face as clinicians looking after cancer patients is that these patients present late with advanced stage disease where treatment becomes expensive, where they require multiple modalities. As cancer is like baobab tree. No one speciality can help them,” Dr. Makova said.
He explained that treatment requires a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, radiologists and pathologists. He added that awareness campaigns by organizations like Cancerserve can help more people present early.
Dr. Makova also spoke on childhood cancers, noting that unlike adult cancers, many cannot be prevented. He cited the WHO Global Initiative on Childhood Cancer and Zimbabwe’s retinoblastoma screening programme during child growth monitoring visits.
“Cancer survivors have a very important role to play that we disseminate correct message” to dispel myths and fear around chemotherapy, radiotherapy and biopsies, he said.
For some beneficiaries, the outreach also uncovered other health conditions.
Emily Dhokwani, 50, said she came for eye problems but was diagnosed with hypertension.
“Today, I was diagnosed with Hypertension and Blood Pressure. All along, I was thinking I had eyes problem only. The doctor told me that the eyes problem was being caused by high Blood Pressure… I was also educated on how I can control sugar and BP through healthy food like mutsine vegetables, boiling leaves of Mutohwe fruit tree and also drinking water which had been immersed with onion peels.”
An elderly woman who requested anonymity received reading glasses from Spec Savers after an eye test. She said she could not be screened for cancer that day because she had slept at the hospital and had not bathed. Staff advised her to return for screening.
The outreach offered breast and cervical screening, prostate checks, eye examinations, blood pressure, blood sugar, BMI checks, counselling and referrals.
Donations were made by partners including Miracle Mission Vimba, MIC Scans, Tongatt Hullet, Spec Savers, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, Avenues Clinic, Magiures, Expacare, Fuschs Lubricants, Care Express Pharmacy, Sky Pharmacy, Simbisa Brands and Gunhill Lions, among others. Items donated included medication, hygiene packs, baby clothes, maize seed, baby formula, chemotherapy chairs, sugar, refreshments and food hampers.
Karanda Mission Hospital Head Dr. Paul Thistle thanked the teams.
“We thank the Almighty God. Thank you for your joyful service to our community.”
In her vote of thanks, Dr. Nyakabau thanked Karanda Mission Hospital management and staff, healthcare workers, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, community leaders and partners.
“Your investment is helping to save lives through early detection and timely referral,” she said. “Early detection remains one of our strongest weapons against cancer, and your participation today demonstrates a commitment to healthier families and stronger communities.”
She urged those referred for further assessment to attend appointments promptly and for communities to continue sharing health information.
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