22 000 cancer deaths recorded

Linda Mzapi
MORE than 22 000 people died of cancer between 2012 and 2015, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
There are fears that the figure could be much higher than 22 000, considering that many people succumb to cancer in their rural homes, resulting in deaths going unrecorded. The Health and Child Care Ministry reported that in 2012, 5 499 were recorded but the numbers soared due to more recorded cases of Kaposi sarcoma, cervical, prostate and breast cancers.
According to Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry, the majority of cancer deaths were recorded in Harare with 15 000 out of the 22 500 cases. Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr Aldrin Musiiwa said cancer cases were on the rise partly due to poor diet, lack of exercise and other unhealthy habits.
“Zimbabwe remains behind in implementing a comprehensive cancer control program due to limited funding and human resource capacity. The centralisation of treatment centres in Harare and Bulawayo, inadequate human and material resources to detect and manage cancers has resulted in reduced access and long waiting periods for those requiring chemotherapy and radiotherapy of surgical intervention,” he said.
“There is need for increased funding from the fiscus towards sustainable cancer control programmes to reduce premature deaths.”
The ministry has crafted a raft of strategies to fight cancer, such as cervical cancer screening through visual inspection with acetic acid (VIAC), as well as Human Papilloma Virus vaccination.