OPPOSITION MDC-T leader Thokozani Khupe’s breast cancer foundation on Saturday celebrated six years of existence, with the former Deputy Prime Minister calling on government to avail ward-based breast cancer testing and treatment centres for the killer disease.
BY NQOBANI NDLOVU
Khupe led a Thokozani Khupe Cancer Foundation (TKCF)-organised march in the central business district of Bulawayo on Saturday to highlight the plight of women suffering from the killer disease, while also calling on government to avail clinical cancer-testing centres across the country.
“We frequently hold awareness programmes about the breast cancer disease, but it is in October where we hold street marches where we encourage people to go for early testing and treatment,” Khupe said.
“I am a breast cancer survivor. It is now seven years after I was diagnosed and treated of breast cancer. We are urging women to go for mammogram testing for breast cancer. As a foundation, we believe we have made strides in eradicating cancer stigma-associated cases.”
She said cancer treatment was expensive and called on government to ensure patients had access to cancer testing and treatment facilities across ethe country.
The TKCF, launched in 2012, seeks to alleviate the plight of cancer patients by offering advocacy campaigns, early detection programmes and assisting in policy formulation in relation to cancer issues.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, according to the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ). According to CAZ, early detection of abnormalities gives doctors a better chance to offer effective treatment.
