Thousands of women are victims of these cancers every year. Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide, with 570,000 new cases in 2018, and almost 90% of deaths occurring in low and middle income countries. In Africa, it is the second most common type of cancer among women, but there is little knowledge about the initial symptoms, and it is often diagnosed in an advanced stage when it is already difficult to treat. This makes it key to promote prevention and early diagnosis.
In Mozambique, the Minister of Health, Nazira Vali Abdula, launched the Pink October campaign, and Doctors with Africa CUAMM joined by taking part in awareness raising and screening initiatives organized by the Xipamanine health center in Maputo to help inform the community of available services and educate about women’s cancers and non-communicable diseases.
Giselle Daiana Genna, assistant for the non-communicable disease project, tells us more:
“We put up a stand in the Xipamanine health center as part of our prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases with the Mozambican Ministry of Health and the Health Directorate of Maputo. Giselle adds, “We made some materials for the occasion, a banner and two roll-ups, to show people what the program is about. During the day, we distributed informational materials and offered the community services, such as calculating body mass index (BMI), measuring blood pressure and blood glucose, and giving nutritional advice to follow a balanced diet and lead a healthier lifestyle. As we did last year, we saw a lot of interest in our services. We did 172 tests, including blood glucose for diabetes and blood pressure“.
This is part of a daily challenge to consistently promote the importance of prevention and healthy lifestyles because taking care of yourself and your health means improving the health of the entire community.
