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Tanzania
50 plus Campaign has applauded the government’s plans to launch
education and screening campaign on cancer diseases including prostate
cancer saying the government’s intervention will help to curb the
epidemic which is killing thousands of people countrywide every year.
The
Campaign Coordinator and Founder of Tanzania 50 Plus Campaign, an
organization fighting against prostate cancer through literacy, advocacy
and support initiatives, Rev. Canon Dr. Emmanuel Kandusi
(picture) said this following a statement made by the Prime Minister
Mizengo Pinda (MP) on Friday 16 April, 2011 when closing up the 10th
parliament when he said the government has embarked on a health
strategic plan for various cancers including prostate cancer saying the
move should be supported by everyone and every institution.
According
to Prime Minister, in 2004 cancer patients were 2,866 but the number
shoot up to 3,898 in 2010 saying the government will make sure that
people gets education on the disease and big hospitals such as Bugando,
Mbeya, KCMC and regional referral hospital will be used to diagonize
various types of cancers.
Dr.
Kandusi who is also a prostate cancer survivor said the government
approach was in line with his organization objectives because male
adults have continuously fallen prey of prostate cancer which kills
thousands of people due to ignorant on the disease, late screening, and
lack of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) gadgets in regional and district
hospital.
He
said the government in collaboration of private sector and
non-governmental organizations should intensify literacy work so that
men will know prostate cancer risk factors, warning sign and develop the
culture of prostate testing to arrest the disease. Prostate cancer is
curable if detected early.
“Cancer
kills more people each year than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis
combined. By 2020 cancer is expected to kill more than 12 million people
a year. More than 75% of new cancer deaths will be in the developing
world. More than 70% of cancers in developing countries are diagnosed
too late for cure and 40% of all cancer deaths can be prevented. It’s
imperative that effort which have been put on literacy, treatment and
care on HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis be put also on cancer” he
said.
He said since the genesis of Tanzania 50 Plus
Campaign, a lot has been achieved; they include educating the public
through media, dissemination of about 45,000 Swahili and 5,000 English
prostate cancer awareness brochures countrywide. We have been counseling
at least two to three men per day. We have mobilized resources to
support patients who can not afford part of their treatment costs. This
has increased awareness on the disease but more needs to be done.
However,
there have been several challenges; they include need for more
resources to sustain the campaign, need for more prostate cancer
literature for dissemination, demand of men who want to do harbinger
tests like Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) and Digital Rectal Exam
(DRE).
While
DRE is a test culturally not favorable, PSA on its side is unreachable
and where gadgets are the cost is prohibitive. In Dar es Salaam about
seven affluent hospitals have such gadgets; the cost for one test is
between 30,000 to 40,000 Tanzania shillings, too expensive to most poor
elderly men. Up-country such gadgets are almost non-existing.
Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst men who are
over 50 years old; it causes the second highest number of deaths among
men diagnosed with cancer (lung cancer first). It is projected that one
man in 6 will get prostate cancer during his lifetime.
Dr. Kandusi noted that Prime Minister Mizengo P. Pinda’s (MP) inclusion
of cancer issues in his speech has empowered all who are doing cancer
literacy, advocacy and support work in the country. Tanzania needs to
reckon that cancer and prostate cancer in particular is a disease which
needs a mult-sectoral effort.
1 comments:
That is great! Tunatumaini serikali itafanya na sio maneno tu ya kuifurahisha jamii! Tutaona - mda utasema!
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