Theseus Shambare
THE Ministry of Lands and Rural Development is set to take breast cancer awareness campaigns to all 10 provinces next year, extending the initiative beyond the annual Pink October commemorations to promote early detection, screening and support for patients and survivors throughout the year.
The expanded programme will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and other stakeholders, with community engagements, school outreach programmes and awareness activities targeting vulnerable groups.
Ministry Permanent Secretary Professor Prosper Matondi announced the initiative during the ministry’s Pink October awareness event in Harare on Friday, saying the campaign would be taken directly to communities to broaden access to cancer information and encourage women to seek early screening.
“Next year, we want you to go to all 10 provinces of this country. We will be there during Breast Cancer Awareness Week and walk with them,” he said.
Prof Matondi said the ministry would mobilise partners to reach women, elderly people and other vulnerable groups, particularly those who might not be fully aware of available screening facilities and the importance of early diagnosis.
The programme will also extend to schools, where young people will be equipped with knowledge about cancer and the importance of supporting affected families.
“We want to grow with young ones knowing that it is not just about the disease; it is about the support systems around them that matter,” he said.
Prof Matondi said demanding work schedules and family responsibilities often resulted in people neglecting their health, with some only seeking medical assistance when diseases had reached advanced stages.
He urged communities to take advantage of available testing facilities, emphasising that early detection was critical in enabling timely intervention and better management of cancer.
The Permanent Secretary spoke candidly about the personal cost of the disease, revealing that he lost his wife to cancer on June 15 this year after years of battling the illness.
He described the experience as devastating, saying the family had struggled with the consequences of late detection.
“Why is it that we did not do better to prevent?” he said, reflecting on the importance of early detection and timely medical intervention.
Beyond public awareness, the ministry is also seeking to integrate health and wellness into its workplace programmes, including the provision of medical support boxes containing essential medicines at its offices countrywide.
Prof Matondi said the initiative would complement the ministry’s expanding institutional footprint as it establishes or renovates offices across 92 districts, including 67 road districts, with employee welfare remaining a key consideration.
He also called for cancer prevention and awareness to be incorporated into the National Clean-Up Campaign, providing another platform for public education on screening, prevention and support for patients.
The ministry further intends to institutionalise its Pink October commemorations by observing the last Friday of October every year, while the planned provincial outreach is expected to extend awareness activities beyond the annual commemorative period.
