Cancer In Zimbabwe
Why cancer in Zimbabwe?
Cancer is a formidable disease that affects people worldwide. Industrialized
countries, such as the United States and Canada, are fortunate to have
the resources and treatment facilities to face the disease and have
the chance to combat it. Zimbabwe, an undeveloped nation in Sub-Sahara
Africa, is not so privileged. It has few medical resources and few citizens
that can afford treatment at them. This brings many to wonder how the
country is affected by cancer and what type of care it provides to patients.
What are the most common forms of cancer
in the country?
The three most common forms of cancer in males in Zimbabwe are Kaposi's
sarcoma, cancer of the liver and of the esophagus (Chokunonga et al.,
"Cancer" 55). In females, cervical cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma
and breast cancer are most prevalent (56). Kaposi's sarcoma is an 'AIDS-defining'
(Grulich et al. 839) cancer and has significantly increased in incidence
since the evolution of the AIDS epidemic in Africa.
What are some causes of cancer unique
to Zimbabwe?
Besides AIDS and acquiring the disease by hereditary means, other risk
factors are alcohol, smoke and poor diet (Walker et al 413). Asbestos
has also been cited as a possible cause. (Johwa, "Officials"
1). Zimbabwe is the world's fifth largest producer of white asbestos
(2). It has two asbestos mines, each that employee 7,000 people (4).
120,000 more people benefit from the mineral's extraction at local industries
(4). In a population of 12.5 million that has an unemployment rate of
70 percent, few people can afford to quit those jobs because of the
risk of cancer (Johwa, "Health" 14).
What are some barriers to providing
treatment for cancer patients?
Overpopulated facilities, and lack of medicine and doctors are some
of the main barriers plaguing Zimbabwe's health care system. In October
2003, Mpilo, the largest government hospital in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe ran
out of chemotherapy drugs and for five months could not afford to repair
its broken chemotherapy machine (Johwa, "Health" 2). That
was only a minor detail due to the fact that 10 of its 12 radiographers
had left the hospital to work in centers of other countries (3). Problems
such as those are common among hospitals in the country, leaving patients
no other option but to travel to one of the primary centers in Harare.
That, however, presents another problem in that few can afford the high
cost of transportation (5).
Lack of money is another tremendous downfall of the
health care system. Of the 12.5 million people in the country, only
1 million can afford medical insurance and only half of them use it
(Johwa, "Health" 15). Hospitals also cannot afford to buy
coal, which affects their ability to boil water for food, sanitation
and laundry (Johwa, "Health", 17). Some have had to turn away
patients because they have no food for them (24).
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