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Dr Masimba Mavaza
Correspondent
Nobody wants to get nearer to Tendai Makuwana, a 60-year-old cancer survivor from Chitungwiza, who has become a loner, confined to her home most of the time where she takes solace in watching television.
Makuwana has been plagued with cancer for the past years.
Mingling with other people has often turned into a nightmare for Makuwana, whom she accuses of perceiving her cancer condition as contagious.
“There are instances when I go to nearby tuck-shops to buy provisions, but the reaction from people there just puts me off and hence the reason why I am confined to my home,” she says.
With all her four children based abroad, Makuwana only has her church mates to visit her, together with some few relatives and a part time nurse who pitches up daily to nurse her.
With many cancer patients like Makuwana battling stigma, Lovemore Makurirofa of the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe said: “Stigmatisation and discrimination against cancer survivors is no different to what also happens to people living with HIV/Aids.”
Makurirofa explained that there is need for a sustained media awareness campaign about the disease because patients often seek medical attention when it is too late to save them.
He said for cancer, early detection and treatment were on the rise, but many people still report that they are uninformed when it comes to cancer.
Brendon Mapuranga, a nurse oncologist said: “There is need for greater understanding of the disease as some patients are complaining about stigmatisation in and around their communities.”
Addressing about 30 traditional healers under the Zimbabwe National Practitioners Association recently, Mapuranga said negative attitudes towards cancer patients resulted in severe depression, which may cause mental illness.
A breast cancer survivor, Laina George from Marondera, said she read heard from other survivors on a Whatsapp platform that they experienced stigma from their spouses, who end up sleeping in separate bedrooms.
“I am lucky in the sense that my husband and family were very supportive because a foreigner from Europe came to my rescue and told us how she had fought breast cancer through chemotherapy treatment,” she said.
“This woman, who is a breast cancer survivor, and her husband actually paid for all my treatment, including the operation to remove my breast. I am so grateful because we could never have raised the amounts doctors were asking for.
“That is when I realised that cancer may just spell doom for people because treatment costs are way beyond affordability.”
These factors result in cancer patients avoiding hospitals and instead seeking help from traditional healers.
Deputy chief medical officer for non-communicable diseases in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Justice Mudavanhu, urged traditional healers to work closely with the ministry.
He said at least 80 percent of sick people first consult traditional healers and prophets and only seek medical attention at hospitals when it is almost impossible to render assistance.
“Traditional healers should always consult the ministry because while we do appreciate the work they are doing, there is need to refer some patients as quickly as possible to avert a situation where patients deteriorate until they are too weak to withstand any treatment,” said Dr Mudavanhu.
Eric Chokunonga, director of the Cancer Registry at Parirenyatwa Hospital, said cancer was on the rise in Zimbabwe, and that more people were anticipated to get treatment for the disease given the yearly rise in cancer patients.
A prominent oncologist, Dr Anne Nyakabau, estimates that more than 7 000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year.
She noted that the most common cancers that affect the human body include breast, uterine, prostate, colon and stomach.
Dr Nyakabau encouraged people to eat indigenous foods and a balanced diet, punctuated by regular exercises, to avoid contracting the disease.
She advised those that have had family members that have succumbed to cancer to ensure regular check-ups because cancer is a hereditary disease which will strike at any given time.
“The stigma experienced by cancer patients stems from the association of cancer with death, as cancer is the most feared disease worldwide, especially among cancer patients and their families,” said Dr Nyakabau.
“The stigma regarding breast cancer screening behaviour has not been critically evaluated and is poorly understood.”
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer death among women worldwide.
Additionally, the incidence of breast cancer is ranked second among all cancers, representing 1,4 million new cases around the globe.
According to the World Health Organization (2014), of all non-communicable diseases deaths are caused by cancer.
More importantly, breast cancer when first diagnosed in women is often at an advanced stage.
According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer can be successfully treated if diagnosed early and the patient makes lifestyle changes.
Online Reporter