The provincial Health Department in partnership with Dutch non-governmental organisation (NGOs), female cancer programme went on a visit to Nontyatyambo Community Health Centre in Mdantsane on 3 August 2010 to help create awareness around preventing cervical cancer and also to encourage women to go and get screened.
Soap stars, Gugu Zuma and Fundiswa Zwane of Isidingo and Generations’ fame were also part of the delegation that included officials from the NGO and the department respectively. The female cancer programme offers free cervical screening using a method called visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), which gives immediate results.
Nomalanga Makwedini, Acting Deputy Director-General for clinical services said it was not by mistake that the campaign took place on Women’s Month; cancer is one of the silent killers. Makwedini also urged women to get them screened for cervical cancer, “today we are here to encourage women especially young women to test for early detection,” she said.
Cervical cancer is weighing in as the top cancer affecting South African women, statistics show that at least 1 in 26 black women and 1 in 80 white women is expected to be directly involved by cervical cancer in their lifetime.
Gugu Zuma who is also the daughter to the state president said prevention is better than cure, “there is no need for people to die for something that can be prevented,” Zuma concluded.
Source: Department of Health, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
