Malawi is lagging behind in the fight against cancer of the cervix as the country leads the global score card on the disease’s incidences and mortality.
A 2013 research, vetted by the World Health Organisation, shows that 2,324 women die of the disease in the country every year.
This according to health rights activists is, among other reasons, due to government’s lack of commitment in tackling the problem which is the fourth common cancer in women.
Speaking recently at a fundraising dinner for construction of a cervical cancer clinic in Mzuzu, Executive Director for Kuwala Health Media (Kuhem), Solomon Chomba, said a majority of women, especially those in rural areas do not have access to health services for prevention and curative treatment.
“Even for those women suffering from this killer disease, our health facilities have no provision for palliative care this is why Kuhem decided to set up the clinic to champion prevention and early detection through screening,” Chomba said.
He further decried that long distances to health facilities coupled with economic challenges are escalating the problem.
Kuhem through the fundraising dinner, among other initiatives, aims to raise over K9 million for the clinic project which commenced few months ago.
“With this clinic, we are fighting cervical cancer from its roots. More of the women will be screened and if diagnosed with it, this creates an opportunity to neutralise cervical cancer threat,” he said.
In his remarks, Zonal Health Manager for the North, Owen Musopole, said that government is committed to investing in the cancer fight, citing financial constraints as the major stumbling block.
He then hailed Kuhem for its relentless efforts towards the cause.
Musopole said: “The government has done extensive research and it is indeed true that cervical cancer has killed and is still killing a huge number of women in the country, as such we commend Kuwala Health Media Trust for initiating this project and be assured that government is very willing to support this work.”
Cervical cancer accounts for 45 percent of all cancers in women and the trend is increasing globally.
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