A breast cancer specialist from England, Dr. Biku Ghosh says Malawi is still struggling to contain breast cancer as no medication on earth cures the disease.
This was said at the end of a two-day orientation workshop on raising awareness, prevention, early diagnosis, and improving outcomes of breast cancer.
The workshop, which was organised by an organisation called Development Initiative Network (DIN) in Chikwawa district on Monday and Tuesday, targeted Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Media, Health Surveillance Assistance (HSAs), and Religious and Traditional Leaders.
Dr Ghosh, who facilitated the workshop and funder of breast cancer raising awareness, prevention, early diagnosis and improving outcomes, urged authorities in the district to address the underlying challenges.
“The workshop aims to equip various stakeholders with the necessary knowledge on breast cancer so that they can take away the messages to the communities if we are to deal with challenges that women face when testing for breast cancer,” said Ghosh.
According to Dr Ghosh, breast cancer in Malawi is rising rapidly, and many lives are lost within two years after the disease has been exposed, as there is no vaccination to cure breast cancer.
He noted that a significant challenge in Malawi is the late detection of breast cancer, which often progresses silently and painlessly in its early stages, making it difficult for women to identify the disease before it advances to a critical stage, unlike other types of cancer that may exhibit more pronounced symptoms
Ghosh has since advised women from the age of 20 to examine their breasts once a month so that they know their breasts well and if there is any change, they can go for early diagnosis and treatment as one way of avoiding unnecessary deaths.
Commenting on the development, the director of Health and Social Services for Chikwawa District Hospital, Dr Grace Momba, said that long distances to the central hospital are affecting the fight against breast cancer in the district.
She further said that Chikwawa district hospital only provides preliminary tests and that they refer women suspected to have developed breast cancer to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, where further tests and ascertain breast cancer are done accordingly.
“We do not have the necessary equipment to offer full examinations of breast cancer at our district hospital. Hence, we refer women to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital,” said Dr Momba.
On her part, Vice Board Chairperson for DIN Organisation, Mercy Kapingasa has advised women to go for breast cancer examinations saying the magnitude of the problem in the district is slowly alarming.
“It is my wish as DIN Organisation to see women come out for screening in large numbers as breast cancer is reported to have been the second most deadly disease in the country.
“This is why the DIN Organisation thought it wise to organise such a workshop by involving key stakeholders and promised to continue making engagements on the same including monitoring the breast cancer trend in the district,” she said.
By Macmillan Mozeyo
