Cervical cancer worsens in Mangochi, says DHO

Mangochi district health Officer (DHO) Henry Chibowa Junior has said cervical cancer is on the rise in the district.

The DHO said out of 1 000 women screened, 300 were suspected to have cancer. Out of this figure, 40 were found with the disease and were treated.

Chibowa said the figure is a huge in as far as delivery of quality health services is concerned.

He said this on Saturday after receiving a set of cryotherapy machine and cylinder worth K5 million from Community of Saint’ Egidio’s Disease Relief Excellent Advanced Means (Dream).

Said Chibowa: “The situation is worrisome because despite having shortages of machines, most women do not come for voluntary checks and they wait until they are unwell.

“Now that we have been given this machine to be placed at Makanjira which is highly populated and it is far from the referral hospital, this is a good move which will help rescue our mothers from the predicament.”

Dream programme director Lawrence Alumando said the increasing cases of cervical cancer among women, especially those with HIV compelled his organisation to intervene.

He encouraged women to take advantage of the machine to have early detection of cervical cancer