President Lazarus Chakwera yesterday officially opened the National Cancer Centre in Lilongwe with reflections on the suffering endured by Malawians who succumbed to the disease or faced despair for failing to afford treatment abroad.
Speaking during the launch at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, the President pledged to establish a National Health Services Fund to independently generate additional resources for the speedy procurement of equipment, repairs and medicines for facilities such as the cancer centre.
“I would like to call on all private sector players to start preparing to join hands with me in taking the development of Malawi’s Cancer treatment forward in the second term of my presidency,” said Chakwera.
The operationalisation of the National Cancer Centre is projected to save the government approximately $2 million (about K3.4 billion) annually in funds previously spent sending patients abroad for treatment.
While a dedicated cancer treatment unit opened at KCH in April 2020, it lacked the critical radiotherapy bunkers now fully integrated.
Chakwera also highlighted alarming cancer mortality rates, saying the country ranks highest globally in oesophageal and second in cervical cancer.
He said: “Behind these statistics of death are stories of pain and heartbreak, stories of loss and the journey of thousands of coffins to the grave, stories of children left as orphans and parents left childless, stories of communities robbed of a son, a daughter, an uncle, an aunt, stories of a nation robbed of talent and productive citizens, stories of dreams cut short and hopes torn asunder.”
In his remarks, Indian High Commissioner Subbbiah Gopalakrishnan detailed the capabilities of the Bhabhatron-II teletherapy unit which was symbolically handed over to the centre by his government in October last year.
He said: “This versatile machine can treat up to 100 patients daily. It effectively targets cancers in various body parts and represents one of the most advanced technologies for delivering life-saving radiotherapy to critically ill patients.”
He also confirmed that the Indian Government will train all technical personnel in India and maintain the machines for two years
In her remarks, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said the facility boasts four radiotherapy and two brachytherapy bunkers. It is equipped with two modern linear accelerators, a Cobalt-60 machine and two brachytherapy units.
Malawi records over 19 000 new cancer cases each year, a significant rise from just over 10 000 cases in 2009.
Over 13 000 people die each year from cancers that could have been treatable and most common ones include cervical, breast, Kaposi’s sarcoma, lymphoma and oesophageal cancer.
Cervical cancer alone contributes significantly to this burden, with Malawi ranked among the highest in the world in incidence and mortality rates.
Despite the burden only five percent of patients previously had access to radiotherapy in foreign hospitals.
Until early last year when business mogul and philanthropist Thom Mpinganjira and partners opened a private International Blantyre Cancer Centre, Malawi did not provide radiotherapy, a development that led to people seeking the services in countries such as India, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa.
See pictorial focus on the opening ceremony on Page 6
