VICE — PRESIDENT John Nkomo and musician Tongai Moyo succumbed to cancer last week and 2011 respectively.
The two are just some of the prominent people to die from the disease, which kills thousands of Zimbabweans every year. And for many, the disease is a death sentence.
It is generally believed that there is still no “cure” for cancer and diagnosis is usually made when it is too late.
While First World nations encourage their citizens to take pre-emptive measures to test for early signs of cancer, limited facilities and prohibitive treatment costs leave many vulnerable to the ravages of this deadly disease.
Early diagnosis is the key to surviving cancer. But in countries like Zimbabwe, cancer develops unrecognised in the patient until it presents physical symptoms, by which time it is often too late to bring the disease under control.
Cervical cancer in women accounts for more than a third of all cancer deaths in Zimbabwe. According to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ), cervical cancer is the most common in the country, followed by breast cancer.
The Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry report for 2009 says cervical cancer accounted for about 35% of all cancer-related deaths in the country.
Until recently, a Pap Smear test was the only method to check for early signs of cervical cancer. But this requires return visits to hospitals and laboratory services capable of processing the samples. And a $20 fee just for the result.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
For many women, the cost of a doctor’s consultation and the test is beyond them. For many more women in rural communities, there is the added cost of travelling to a clinic or hospital that offers such a specialised service and a month-long wait while the results of the test are being processed — and a return visit to the clinic for the diagnosis.
According to Anna Nyakabau, a Harare consultant oncologist who specialises in dealing with cervical cancer, “at least eight out of 10 patients come (for treatment) when the cancer is advanced. “It has become the leading killer disease in women.”
The Health ministry, however, is rolling out a single visit “see-and-treat” pilot project nationwide using a simple household vinegar swab test that reveals whether the patient has abnormal cells that are likely to develop into cervical cancer.
Known as the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Cervicography (VIAC), the test eliminates the need for sophisticated labs and can be carried out quickly and cheaply by trained medical staff, according to Margaret Nyandoro, deputy director of the Reproductive Health Unit in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
Parirenyatwa, Harare Central, Mpilo and United Bulawayo hospitals are now using the new method to detect cervical cancer. It is a simple “one-stop” test, which costs the patient nothing but their time.
VIAC is also now available at Masvingo Provincial Hospital, the privately owned Newlands Clinic and Edith Opperman Clinic in Mbare, which is run by Harare City Council. Tafadzwa Chigariro, CAZ knowledge manager, said the VIAC test was a better option to the Pap test.
Although many women appear to be aware of the threat of cervical cancer, it seems that very few are aware that a common, sexually transmitted virus known as the Human Papilloma Virus (or HPV) is responsible for the development of virtually all types of cervical cancer.
According to CAZ, HPV is responsible for 98% of all cervical cancers in the country. HPV is most commonly transmitted through sexual intercourse, but carriers rarely present any symptoms of illness. One young woman who identified herself as Fungai Muronda (26), is one of the lucky ones who have benefited from early testing for the presence of cervical cancer.
She was persuaded by a health-conscious friend to “check her status”. So she agreed to undergo a VIAC Test, which turned out to be positive. Subsequent tests revealed that she was also a carrier of the HPV virus.
“All I knew at the time was that cervical cancer was one of the leading killer diseases among women in Zimbabwe,” recalled Fungai. “And at that moment, I saw myself dying.”
But staff at the Edith Opperman Clinic in Mbare where she had undergone the test reassured her that because the cancer had been discovered in its early stages it could be easily treated – and she could be actually cured of the disease.
She is one of the 8 000 women nationwide who have benefited from VIAC testing since April last year.
In Western countries a vaccine has been developed to protect people from contracting the HPV virus and the American Health Service has recommended that girls be vaccinated before they become sexually active to prevent the development of cervical cancer.
While the good news is that Zimbabwe is set to adopt the same pre-emptive policy following the registration of an HPV vaccine called Cervarix, the costs of acquiring it are likely to limit its use to those who can afford it for their children.
