HARARE: A non-profit making organisation involved in providing support to children suffering from cancer has commemorated World Childhood Cancer Day in Harare by calling on all citizens and organisations in the country to wear orange and make donations during the week February 15-21 as a way of showing solidarity with the suffering children and those that have survived cancer.
KidzCan organised a one-day workshop where a number of stakeholders in the treatment, care and management of child cancers, cancer survivors and the media all came together to discuss the way forward in conducting activities to manage cancer in children.
Of concern to participants was the current myth that cancer is caused by witchcraft and this has resulted in so many unnecessary deaths of children suffering from cancer. A panel of gurus in the care and treatment of cancer who included Dr Mhlanga from the Ministry of Health and Childcare and Dr Annamary Nyakabau, an Oncologist, agreed that a multi stakeholder approach could be a way of ensuring that citizens cease to see cancer as a death sentence and also cease to rely on traditional and faith healers as cancer, when detected early enough is easily curable.
A representative from Island Hospice, Ms Tembi Khumalo said that cancer survivors can also be used to demystify the thinking that faith and traditional healers can treat cancer.
Speaker after speaker narrated how cancer is becoming a huge burden for Zimbabwe’s health sector and there is need for putting in place strategies to mobilise resources towards cancer prevention, care and treatment.
RPAZ attended the workshop and was represented by Ms Rujeko Mpandanyama, a Radiation Scientist and Ms Bridget Mudota, the Corporate Communications Officer.