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NewsDay

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‘Cancer Levy must be handled with care’

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THE proposal to introduce a cancer levy to help treat patients affected by the disease is a sensitive subject that needs to be handled with care.

THE proposal to introduce a cancer levy to help treat patients affected by the disease is a sensitive subject that needs to be handled with care, an official with the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ) has said.

PHILLIP CHIDAVAENZI

CAZ knowledge manager Lovemore Makurirofa told NewsDay yesterday that there was need for policymakers to deliberate extensively on the matter before crafting the policy.

“The issue of a cancer levy is quite controversial, but it is up to the policymakers to deliberate on that, but we believe that there should be a better way of mobilising funds because by so doing (introducing a cancer levy), government will be shifting the burden to the taxpayer,” Makurirofa said.

MDC-T lawmaker Thokozani Khupe recently urged government to introduce the cancer levy to help in research and treatment so as to cut down on the number of people succumbing to various types of cancers in the country. Her calls resonated with other cancer survivors and families that have seen relatives struggle with the invasive disease.

Makurirofa, however, said it was better to craft a health trust fund into which resources would be pooled to help fight cancer.

“When you look at cancer, the costs start right from diagnosis and many people can’t pay for that and coping with the disease is also expensive. So it’s not so much about having a cancer levy, but mobilising resources,” he said.

Makurirofa said CAZ was advocating for a sustainable solution in the management of cancer.

He said it was encouraging that in recent years there had been great efforts to bring cancer into focus.

“Although we have not achieved a lot, we are happy that cancer is now being discussed in Parliament, unlike five years ago.

“Now, more organisations working in the area of HIV and Aids have also incorporated cancer education,” Makurirofa said.

The number of people succumbing to cancer in the country has been significantly rising over the past few years, but access to treatment, which was beyond the reach of ordinary patients, has been illusive.

Ministry of Health and Child Care and United Nations Population Fund statistics showed that at least 1 800 women in Zimbabwe were diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, with 1 200 succumbing to the disease.

Health and Child Care minister David Parirenyatwa has indicated that government was exploring ways of boosting cancer management and treatment.