“I want to grow old and reach 98 years,” declared Dorcas Phiri to rousing applause as she gave testimony on the eve of her silver anniversary.
She was addressing gathered delegates at the National World Cancer Day commemoration.
She is a 64 year old mother of five and a grandmother of six.
However Phiri’s anniversary is not like other celebratory centenaries, for there is no silver lining in the 25 years she has lived with cervical cancer, a battle only prolonged by her fierce determination to live longer.
Even her calm narration of her experiences could not belly scars of the bruising battle she has had to fight and as she walked gingerly off the podium her measured steps told a story of an enemy within.
It all began on June 8, 1991, she vividly reminisced, when her life was transformed over night. Diagnosis entailed a significant re-adjustment of life choices and priorities- changing her diet the most difficult of all.
“I had to change my diet to survive after I was diagnosed at first it was difficult for me because I really loved to feast on especially beef that was my favorite.
“But now I have accepted my fate and I am actually enjoying natural foods,” said Phiri.
Phiri, a 64 year old resident of Dangamvura high density suburb, mother of five and grandmother to six grandchildren, said the early stages were a blur for her.
“It was too fast,” she said.
“I could not believe that I had been diagnosed with cervical cancer and it took me a time to adjust, going through six months of chemotherapy was very difficult.”
With 70% of Zimbabwe’s social sector supported by the donor community, the fight against cervical cancer is being spear headed by development partners led by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
To this end partners, under a National Cervical Cancer Screening program, assisted government to set up Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Cervicography (VIAC) screening centers.
UNFPA country Representative, Cheikh Tidiane says cervical cancer is the most common among women in Zimbabwe, accounting for a third of cancer cases, and killing four women daily.
“…As UNFPA, we remain concerned about the high disease burden of cervical cancer in Zimbabwe. Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women, accounting for 33,4% of all cancer cases. In Zimbabwe it is estimated that 4 women die every day due to cervical cancer.
“Initially with funding from UNFPA followed by support form UK Aid, Irish Aid and the Government of Sweden under the Integrated Support Programme [partners have] worked together with the Government of Zimbabwe on the National Cervical Cancer Screening,” said Tidiane.
He added that, “Since then, 88 sites have been set up to conduct Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Cervicography (VIAC) in different parts of the country, therefore providing women with essential cancer screening services and treatment… more than 128 000 women have been screened in these sites.”
To augment these existing efforts Tadiane said UNFPA will launch an exciting Health Development Fund earmarked to boost existing government efforts to combat an increasing disease burden in the country- cervical cancer.
“We hope to continue partnerships with government and donors through the exciting new Health Development Fund programme, which we will launch very soon.
“Under the HDF Pillar 2 on Sexual and Reproductive Rights, we aim to increase the percentage of women accessing cervical cancer screening services in Zimbabwe,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Aldrin Musiiwa said government was mobilizing resources to establish cancer treatment centres to fight the non-communicable disease claiming more lives than HIV, Malaria and TB combined.
Currently, Zimbabwe has only two health institutions that provide comprehensive cancer prevention, care and treatment.
“There is need for the establishment of Cancer Treatment centers that provide comprehensive cancer prevention, care and treatment.
“Currently there are only two such centers, Parerenyatwa in Harare and Mpilo Hospital in Bulwayo. This makes it difficult for most people to access these services, as even these two remain under staffed and ill-equipped,” he said.
Dr Musiiwa said government was aware of the manpower challenges as it strongly considered spreading vertically HIV and TB funding to address the serious financial obstacles in combating cancer.
He said the other avenue to mobilize funds was through more private public partnerships, integrated interventions as well as domestic resource mobilization.
“There is need for adequate manpower through priority recruitment, employment and retention of staff, coupled with the provision of adequate diagnostic and treatment equipment including related critical medical supplies for cancer management.
“We see an opportunity in the mobilization of required resources which can be achieved through, integration with other programmes such as HIV and TB services- which are already fully funded,” he said, adding that, “Through partnership with development agencies, local public private partnerships and domestic resource mobilization and funding by government.”
World Health Organisation Representative in Zimbabwe, Dr David Okello said globally cancer was posing a threat to humanity, and a particularly growing public health concern in Africa.
He said increased cases of cancers on the continent was likely to double within two decades from 2008 figures due to aging and the growing African population.
“Cancer is a disease that affects a growing number of people every year. The increase in the number of cases of cancer is recognized as a worrying public health concern in Africa.
“Women in the region commonly suffer breast and cervical cancer whereas men have higher rates of liver, stomach, bladder, prostate, lung and throat cancers.
“About 715 000 new cases and 542 cancer deaths occurred in 2008 on the continent. These numbers are expected to double in the next 20 years simply because of the aging and growing population,” said Dr Okello.
Cervical cancer is a non communicable disease which is caused by the human papillomavirus.
HPV is mainly transmitted through sexual contact, the most common infections are shortly after the onset of sexual activity, states the WHO fact sheet on cervical cancer.
WHO also states that majority of HPV infections do not cause symptoms or disease, however persistent infection with types 16 and 18 may lead to precancerous lesions, which may overtime progress to cervical cancer.
Symptoms of cervical cancer tend to appear only after the cancer has reached an advanced stage and these may include irregular, intermensural or abnormal bleeding after intercourse.
Other symptoms include back, leg or cervical pain, fatigue, weight loss, vaginal discomfort or odorous discharge as well as swollen legs.
Cervical cancer takes 15 to 20 years to develop in women with good immunity and less in women with bad immune system particularly HIV positive women.
Due to this relative slow development the WHO calls for women between 30 and 40 years to get screened at least once in their lifetime or more frequently.
In her calm tone, punctuated by her Ndebele accent, she urges women to go for early screening at VIAC centres dotted around the country, to determine their risk of infection.
“I no longer eat fried foods only boiled natural foods and this has helped to be where I am today.
“I urge fellow women to go for screening to see if they are at risk because the earlier the better. Early screening saved my life.”
