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Coalition wants enhanced cancer fight

Women Coalition Against Cancer (Wocaca) has called for concerted efforts on awareness and capacity building for different actors and knowledge sharing of cancer to combat the disease.

In an interview ahead of World Cancer Day commemorations tomorrow, Wocaca’s executive director Maud Mwakasungula also appealed to development partners to support government and give priority to the health sector, saying there is need to invest more in the sector.cancer-awareness

“Though much is being done by government and other actors to deal with cancer, most especially cervical cancer, it is imperative that we do more than what is being done if the fight is to be won,” said Mwakasungula.

Associate professor in obstetrics and gynaecology at the College of Medicine (CoM), Frank Taulo, is on record as having said cervical cancer is “very easy to prevent”.

However, lack of screening services makes it the most common cancer that kills women that could have been saved.

Meanwhile, in a statement released last Friday, Wocaca, in collaboration with Achikondi Women and Community Friendly Services Clinic in Lilongwe’s Area 23, has organised community awareness as part of the World Cancer Day.

Wocasa chairperson Charity Salima said in the statement that the community awareness will focus on this year’s theme, “We can, I can”, with emphasis on universal access to screening and early detection for cancer.

“Discussions during the awareness will centre on early screening, nutrition, dealing with stigma and discrimination towards women and children living with cancer and testimonies from cancer survivors,” she said.

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