National cancer conference opens on Friday

on the health sector.
The conference, organised by the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe (CAZ), will be held under the theme: “Bringing the Cancer Burden on the National Health Agenda”.
CAZ general manager, Mrs Junior Mavu, said the conference, which would be held in Harare, was meant to raise awareness on the awesome burden that cancer was saddling on the already over-stretched health care system in the country.
“The conference’s aims are to raise awareness and interest on the rising burden due to cancer as well as share good practices in cancer control,” she said.
“It will bring together policy makers, NGOs, health workers, health institutions and the corporate sector.”
CAZ knowledge manager, Mr Tafadzwa Chigariro, said the conference, which the body is organising with the support of the National Health Care Trust, would focus on four major objectives.
“The conference is meant to collectively assess the work of the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe over the past 50 years, share good practices in cancer prevention, treatment and management and to review the existing public policies, practices and resourcing of the national cancer programme,” he said.
“It will also consolidate ideas and recommendations for the national cancer control programme.”
Some of the speakers at the conference include Health and Child Welfare Minister, Dr Henry Madzorera, his permanent secretary, Brigadier General Dr Gerald Gwinji, former Health and Child Welfare Minister, Dr David Parirenyatwa and oncologist Dr Webster Kadzatsa.
Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, who is battling with breast cancer, will give the closing remarks. Of late, there have been calls for Government to look into its cancer policies for them to become effective. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates that Zimbabwe sees, on average, 7 000 cancer cases each year and only a fraction of these are treated.
Unlike HIV and Aids, that is supported by the World Bank’s Global Fund, cancer is not adequately supported financially.
The Union for International Cancer Control says that “each year over 12,7 million people receive cancer diagnosis and 7,6 million people die from the disease” internationally. The UN General Assembly is holding a summit on cancer, Monday next week.
A conference of such a magnitude was held in 2001 for HIV and Aids, and it resulted in the World Bank forming the Global Fund for HIV and Aids. There was also a ripple effect in the formation of NGOs in different countries to combat the scourge.
The cancer summit is expected to have the same effect and take cancer awareness to the next level. Zimbabwe usually battles with cervix cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancers.