Tshabalala-Msimang, and delivered by the Mpumalanga MEC of Health, Mr P Pasha,
at the community event, in Mpumalanga to commemorate the Breast, Cervical and
Prostate Cancer Month, Ekulindeni Stadium, Albert Luthuli Municipality, Gert
Sibanda District
6 October 2006
Programme Director
Distinguished guests and dignitaries
Community of Gert Sibanda District
Ladies and gentlemen
Sanibonani nonke!
It is a great pleasure for me to participate in this occasion to officially
launch the National Breast, Cervical and Prostate Cancer "Open Day".
My Department has chosen the "Open Day" approach to further strengthen our
efforts to ensure that everyone has access to information and healthcare
services in order to prevent and manage chronic diseases.
Some of our most common health conditions including diabetes, high blood
pressure, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers are critically linked to
lifestyle.
These conditions are all deadly if not managed or treated. Some have reached
epidemic proportions in our country.
Both prevention and management of these conditions depend heavily on
adopting healthy lifestyles, which include:
* a balanced diet
* regular exercise
* no tobacco smoking
* moderate or no alcohol intake
* regular screening for diseases
* management of stress.
To some extent lifestyle change is a personal decision. But, often it also
depends on external factors. So, organisations and communities also have a role
to play, and so does government by developing appropriate laws to promote good
health.
As part of the activities of this important occasion, the MEC and I will
lead health officials and our partners to those seven tents, which have been
organised to provide health education and screening services for cancer,
diabetes and high blood pressure. These activities have been planned especially
for the community of Albert Luthuli Municipality and surrounding areas in order
to create more awareness about the importance of preventing and managing these
conditions.
Every year, of an estimated 490 000 females diagnosed with cervical cancer
around the world, 273 500 die of cervical cancer. In South Africa, for example,
cervical cancer made up an average of 20% of all cancer cases reported in
females from 1998 to 1999, according to the Medical Research Council (MRC).
During this period, it was estimated that cervical cancer was the most
common cancer among young South African females aged 15 - 19 years old,
accounting for 12,5% of all cancer cases reported in this age profile.
Cervical cancer also accounted for one quarter of all reported cases of
cancer among South African females aged 30 - 46 years old and was the most
common cancer reported in this particular age category from 1998 and 1999.
In the year 2000, also according to MRC, an estimated 3 424 South African
females died of cervical cancer, which translates to a death rate of 15 out of
every 100 000 women. This is how serious and deadly the condition can be if not
detected early, properly managed and treated. I implore you good people to go
for regular screenings so that we could help to arrest this condition before it
is too late.
Today, we are here to highlight the need to strengthen our existing
programmes to ensure that breast, cervical and prostate cancers become the
integral part of our health promotion programmes. This will enable us to reduce
the unnecessary high morbidity and mortality rates due to cancers.
My Department in 2000 launched the National Guidelines on Cervical Cancer
Screening, which state that every asymptomatic woman over the age of 30 should
have three pap smears over her lifetime. We have also established a Provincial
Health Committee to oversee the implementation of the Breast, Cervical and
Prostate Cancer Programme.
Cervical cancer screening is free to every woman as it forms part of the
integrated Primary HealthCare package. So, please visit the nearest health
facility to know about your health status so that you could receive help. We
cannot win this battle to improve the quality of the health of our people
without your full commitment to work with us. Prevention and early detection of
cancer through health screening, self-breast examination will remain our most
powerful weapon in the fight against cancer.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our health workers and
professionals, and partners who are here to render health-screening services
today. Most importantly, I congratulate the Cancer Association of South Africa
for their major contribution in providing health education service, especially,
in targeting men to educate them about the prevention prostate cancer.
My fellow citizens, I would like to urge you once more to take
responsibility of your own health and support your ailing family members,
colleagues and friends. You could do that by adopting a healthier lifestyle and
go for regular screening for diseases, encourage youth to delay sexual
intercourse, practice safe sex, eat good nutritious food, engage in regular
physical activities, avoid smoking and drink responsibly. You could also
support your family members and friends to take and finish their medication as
prescribed. That way we will succeed to reduce the incidents of preventable
diseases.
Before I declare this "Open Day" event official, let us have a moment of
silent in memory of our parents, sisters, brothers, relatives, colleagues,
friends and children who passed on and left us because of cancer.
Ngiyabonga. "Impilo iyasetshenzelwa halala".
Issued by: Department of Health
6 October 2006
Source: Department of Health (http://www.doh.gov.za)
