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Zambia records world's second highest cervical cancer rate

Zambia records world's second highest cervical cancer rate
By Florence Bupe
Wednesday August 20, 2008 [04:00]

ZAMBIA has the second highest incidence rates of cervical cancer in the world, health minister Dr Brian Chituwo has disclosed. And Lusaka Urban District Health director Dr Kennedy Lishimpi disclosed that more than 20,000 women have been screened for cervical cancer at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) since the opening of the cancer clinic.

Officiating at an international seminar organised by the Cervical Cancer Prevention Programme in Zambia aimed at strategising on cervical cancer prevention and treatment yesterday, Dr Chituwo said it was unacceptable for the country to continue recording high incidences of the disease when it was preventable.

He called on cooperating partners to work with the government in enhancing attention towards the tackling of cervical cancer.

"For over a decade, attention has been given to HIV/AIDS, and of late to malaria. However, we have paid very little attention to non-communicable diseases such as cancer, and we note with sadness that Zambia ranks second in cervical cancer incidence rates after Tanzania," he said.

Dr Chituwo also called for the involvement of the community at large and traditional leaders in particular in addressing the challenge of the disease.
He explained that some traditional practices enhanced the development of cervical cancer.

"It is important to incorporate traditional leaders to change cultural practices that sometimes lead to cervical cancer. Traditional leaders also have an important role to play," Dr Chituwo said.

And Dr Lishimpi said UTH had screened more than 20,000 women for cervical cancer.
He disclosed that cervical cancer accounted for 34 per cent of all cancers treated at the institution.

"Africa continues to face the burden of deaths from non-communicable diseases, which are usually neglected killers. It is crucial that more attention and resources should be directed to curbing these challenges," he said.

Dr Lishimpi advised that there should be increased sensitisation among young women to screen for both HIV and cervical cancer, as the two were closely linked.
UTH managing director Dr Peter Mwaba said the institution intended to scale up cervical cancer diagnosis in future.

Labels: HEALTHCARE, POLLUTION

posted by MrK @ 5:13 AM