Online Reporter
Obey Musiwa
Herald Reporter
A two-day outreach in Highfield has seen hundreds of women turn up for free cervical and breast cancer screenings, underscoring growing awareness of the diseases that remain the leading causes of death among women in Zimbabwe.
The initiative, which was held early this week, was backed by local institutions and health organisations, and reached expectations as residents in surrounding suburbs responded to the call.
Highview Clinic and Maternity resident medical doctor, Dr Rejoice Kututwa emphasised the encouragement by the strong response, with numbers surpassing targets, showing that women are increasingly conscious of their health.
“We had a target of 100 patients on Tuesday and managed to attend to 110 ladies.
“In total, we are expecting to attend to around 250 women in the two days, though from the numbers we are getting now, we do expect to get more than that,” said Dr Kututwa.
She said the outreach is fostering a culture of proactive health consciousness among women, as more community members recognise the importance of regular screening.
“Almost everyone is now conscious of their health, everyone is conscious that they need to be screened.
“We are delighted to be part and parcel of this cancer screening as we give back to the community and everyone else who is coming outside Highfield.”
The efforts of Highview Clinic, TM PicknPay and CABS highlight both the urgency of early detection and the community’s willingness to embrace preventive healthcare.
In this regard, Health Services Manager at Cancer Association of Zimbabwe, Sr Naomi Badza emphasised the importance of early detection.
She noted that cervical and breast cancer remain the top killers among women, and urges more women to take advantage of screening opportunities.
“Cervical cancer is the number one leading cancer which is causing death in Zimbabwe and breast being the second one.
“Early detection and screening of cancer does save lives. So, to all the ladies out there, make sure that you go for cervical cancer screening and breast cancer screening,” she said.
Highview Clinic and Martenity Managing Director and Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr Eliot F Chikati said the initiative was strengthened by the collaboration between the clinic and corporate partners, whose support made the outreach possible.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe and the partners TM and CABS for partnering with Highview Clinic and Maternity in this great initiative.”
One of the beneficiaries, Glen Norah resident Ms Mary Makombore said cancer screening outreach fulfilled her hopes by providing accessible, timely health services that reassured her about the importance of early detection.
“I came here expecting to be screened and I am happy that the process was smooth and I got the help I needed.
“This initiative has given me peace of mind because I now know my health status and I encourage other women to take part,” she said.
