25 Nov 2019

The Cancer Association of Botswana (CAB) in collaboration with Princess Marina Hospital on Saturday commemorated men’s health MOvember alongside the pink month that ended in October.

The drive to instill cancer awareness messages was held through the six-kilometre Stiletto walk in Gaborone to provide a platform for community members to put themselves in the shoes of those who have or are undergoing cancer treatment and to show support.

Giving a brief on the commemoration, executive director of the Cancer Awareness Botswana Ms Boitumelo Molefe-Ndebele said the walk was meant  to encourage and instill hope in all those who have been diagnosed with cancer.

“All that we did and will continue to do is to make sure that everyone feels the pain of the one who has been diagnosed with cancer or knows someone who is,” she said.

In a testimony, Ms Tirelo Molefe, who has been in remission for the past four years, said she found a lump in her breast in 2007 and went to the hospital for it to be removed.

She said after the lump was removed she was told to remove her breast as it was affected,  which she refused, adding that this consequently led to multiple operations on her breast.

She further shared that although at some point her cancer was said to be at stage four, she did not lose hope, but got support from her family.

In his closing remarks, Member of Parliament for Gaborone Central Mr Tumisang Healy said it was interesting and encouraging to associate one self with the cancer association because of the good work it did.

He also noted the shortage of medication that Marina was facing to assist cancer patients, which he said added to other health worries that already existed.

He highlighted that health-related challenges have been tabled and solutions will surface very soon.

Mr Healy told the “walkers” to keep abreast with their health and to continue to walk and raise awareness individually. 

Princess Marina Hospital Cardiologist, Dr Monkgogi Goepamang stressed that a lot of people viewed cancer as a very frightening diagnosis with a gruelling pain and sustained mobility which at times lead to death.

Consequently, he said when one was told that they have breast cancer and that they should perhaps have their breast removed, they lost hope, gave up and eventually passed on.

He, however, said that some cancer-related challenges they faced at times ranged from delays by the hospital to diagnose a patient or let them start chemo treatment on time.

He said that as much as health practitioners keep educating the public about such diseases as cancer and how to care for themselves, they themselves need to up their game and assist patients in the shortest time possible.

Dr Goepamang also raised a concern about cancer patients who consulted traditional doctors and pastors who claimed that cancer had disappeared whereas it had not.

He further said that some patients were too attached to their religious beliefs to an extent that they would quit taking treatment just because a pastor or traditional doctor declared them healed.

“It is not wrong to seek prayers and assistance from religious leaders and traditional doctors,   but it is of utmost importance to always confirm with the hospital if one can quit medication,” he said.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for 8.8 million death in 2015.

In Botswana, breast cancer accounts for 9.4 per cent of all cancers and 16 per cent of all female cancer, according to the Botswana National Cancer Registry.

It is also among the top five common causes of cancer deaths in Botswana. ENDS