Aga Khan hospital cancer campaign yields huge results
Just
three months after the Aga Khan Hospital launched the breast cancer
campaign in September this year dubbed “Don’t wait for October” it has
been revealed that more than 1,000 patients have so far been reached
with free screening services in Dar es Salaam.
A breast surgeon at the hospital Dr Athar Ali told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that more women from the country’s regions are expected to be reached to enable them access to breast cancer services.
Dr Ali said they expect to rollout such a campaign in Dodoma, Iringa and Morogoro regions by next year.
“Our campaign aims at encouraging more people to attend monthly cancer screening in order to detect the problems early. This will help patients to find an appropriate treatment and enable them live a normal life” he said.
He urged women to conduct regular cancer screening tests instead of waiting for the month of October, known to be a breast cancer awareness month.
It is said that early detection can go a long way in curbing the spread of the disease and its effects on breasts in the country where around 80 percent of such cases are reported at an advanced stages.
According to him, citizens need to live healthily by ensuring that they follow good diet wherever possible urging employers to emulate the Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) for encouraging its staff to undergo breast cancer screening at the Hospital.
DTB employee, Namboto Yusi said women should be encouraged to go for such screening because they were offered at no costs.
She said “Cancer screening tests are very expensive in different hospitals around the world, the free services being offered by the hospital is a rare opportunity that needs to be appreciated by making sure that more women show up for screening.”
Another employee with DTB who also benefitted from the screening tests said there is need for more education and awareness campaign to equip women with the knowledge on the importance of breast cancer testing.
According to her, breast cancer cases are still very high in the country, a second leading in mortality among women.
The Tanzania Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) record indicates that at least 44,000 Tanzanians are diagnosed with cancer every year while only 8,800 can be fully cured.
Despite such records, Tanzania is among few countries in the world to have free cancer treatment.
The government in collaboration with some professional institutions and some private health facilities are busy conducting more campaigns and step up efforts to scale down the disease.
A breast surgeon at the hospital Dr Athar Ali told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that more women from the country’s regions are expected to be reached to enable them access to breast cancer services.
Dr Ali said they expect to rollout such a campaign in Dodoma, Iringa and Morogoro regions by next year.
“Our campaign aims at encouraging more people to attend monthly cancer screening in order to detect the problems early. This will help patients to find an appropriate treatment and enable them live a normal life” he said.
He urged women to conduct regular cancer screening tests instead of waiting for the month of October, known to be a breast cancer awareness month.
It is said that early detection can go a long way in curbing the spread of the disease and its effects on breasts in the country where around 80 percent of such cases are reported at an advanced stages.
According to him, citizens need to live healthily by ensuring that they follow good diet wherever possible urging employers to emulate the Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) for encouraging its staff to undergo breast cancer screening at the Hospital.
DTB employee, Namboto Yusi said women should be encouraged to go for such screening because they were offered at no costs.
She said “Cancer screening tests are very expensive in different hospitals around the world, the free services being offered by the hospital is a rare opportunity that needs to be appreciated by making sure that more women show up for screening.”
Another employee with DTB who also benefitted from the screening tests said there is need for more education and awareness campaign to equip women with the knowledge on the importance of breast cancer testing.
According to her, breast cancer cases are still very high in the country, a second leading in mortality among women.
The Tanzania Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) record indicates that at least 44,000 Tanzanians are diagnosed with cancer every year while only 8,800 can be fully cured.
Despite such records, Tanzania is among few countries in the world to have free cancer treatment.
The government in collaboration with some professional institutions and some private health facilities are busy conducting more campaigns and step up efforts to scale down the disease.
SOURCE:
GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY
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