Breast Cancer Foundation calls for more cancer treatment hospitals

The Tanzania Breast Cancer Foundation has urged the government think of adding more hospitals for cancer treatment in order to reduce the number of deaths caused by the disease. 

The call was made by the Executive Director of Tanzania Breast Cancer Foundation, Angela Kuzilwa when making introductory remarks to the guest of honour during the charity walk organised by the organisation on 25th April this year.

The Prime Minister, Honourable Mizengo Pinda who was represented by the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Hon. Shamsa Mwangunga was the guest of honour of the charity walk.

During the event Angela said that there are many cancer patients who die as a result of delaying to reach at Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam, which is the only hospital for cancer treatment. 

She added that as a result of having only one hospital for cancer in the country, it happens that some patients are forced to incur expenses of purchasing medicines from private sources, which are very costly.

“Cancer treatments are very expensive. Sometimes free medicines are finished and are required to buy. Some of us fail to afford because the price of a dosage ranges from Tshs. 180,000/= to 350,000/=,” she said.

She said, as a result some patients opt to use traditional medicine, which are not effective, therefore the disease continues and lead into death. 

Also, Angela asked the community to join efforts in providing education about cancer, especially breast cancer in order to increase people’s awareness and knowledge about the disease.
She said that there was limited awareness and knowledge about cancer in Tanzania contributed by customs and traditions hence retarding efforts in combating breast cancer.

The Executive Director of the Ocean Road Cancer Institute, Dr. Twalib Ngoma supported Angela by stating that lack of awareness about breast cancer has contributed to high death rate of cancer patients in the country. 

He said cancer can be treated if detected at early stages, but many patients in the country die because they are diagnosed when the disease has reached an advance stage hence impossible to treat and get the patient completely cured.

Dr. Ngoma said that in developed countries where awareness and understanding about cancer was high, the rate of patients who get completely cured from breast cancer was very promising.
“In developing countries where there is early testing and diagnosing of breast cancer 80 percent of patients are completely cured. But here (in our county) only between ten to twenty percent get completely cured,” he said. 

The guest of honour, Hon. Shamsa Mwangunga (representing the Prime Minister, Hon. Mizengo Pinda) said that mass education on breast cancer was crucial in combating the disease.

She commended civil society organisations undertaking education and awareness creation and asked other people in the society to join the efforts and ensure that many people are aware of the disease and get test for it. 

The Foundation for Civil Society is supporting Breast Cancer Foundation in awareness creation and education about breast cancer.