Zimbabwe is on a drive to develop national guidelines to better manage cancer as a part of the implementation of the national cancer strategy, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gerald Gwinji has said.
Officially opening the National Training Course on Clinical Guidelines on Radiotherapy in Harare on Monday, Gwinji expressed government’s commitment to fighting cancer adding that the training course came at the opportune time when the country is on a drive to come up with ways of implementing the national cancer strategy.
“I am happy to announce that the government of Zimbabwe is committed to fighting cancer and we have shown our commitment through various activities,” said Gwinji.
In 2012 government of Zimbabwe in conjunction with International Energy Agency (IEA) acquired state of the art radiotherapy equipment for the two centers valued more than $10 million for the treatment of cancer patients.
“With such an investment in this life saving equipment, it is pleasing to know that our health professionals in the field are endeavoring to commit themselves to the development of guidelines to optimize the use of the equipment for the benefit of our patients,
“This guideline development can only improve the quality of cancer treatments that these two centers being Parirenyatwa and Mpilo hospitals respectively to match international standards,” said Gwinji.
He reinforced government’s commitment to addressing cancer treatment through the avaiing of funds from the Aids levy towards procurement of cancer drugs.
Gwinji said Zimbabwe was invited to be part of six African countries involved in the development and adaptation of National Comprehensive Cancer Network African Guidelines to be launched at the AORTIC conference in Rwanda this year which he said will benefit the country through reduced chemotherapy drugs.
The country has also been making steady improvements on manpower development in radiotherapy through training programs run by the University Of Zimbabwe College Of Health Sciences, National University of Science and Technology and the school of Radiography, School and Nursing and other educational institutions.
