By Manasse Nyirenda

Rumphi, August 6, Mana: First Lady, Madame Monica Chakwera’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has launched a four-day screening for cancer and sexually transmitted infections at Jeka village in Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe in Rumphi district.

In an interview on Monday, principal social welfare officer at State House, Grace Kalanda said the initiative aims at encouraging women to test for breast cancer routinely in order to detect and treat it early to save their lives.

She added that the initiative was launched in 2023 and at least 700 women in State Residences have been screened for breast cancer and three who tested positive are undergoing treatment.

She further said that their target is to screen at least 500 people in Rumphi.

Director of Health and Social Services for Rumphi District Council, Dr. Arnold Jumbe said about six percent of women who undergo cervical cancer screening in Rumphi test positive.

He therefore urged women to go for cervical and breast cancer screening.

Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe said he was happy that the initiative was launched in his area and urged State House team to take it across the country so that more women can benefit from the initiative.

One of the women who came for screening, Ida Nkhata, 28 from Jeka village in the same area said she was happy to access such services within her village.

She also called upon women to utilize the screening services in her village and test for breast and cervical cancer.

The First Lady's initiative focuses on breast cancer while Rumphi District Health Office has included cervical cancer and STI to the screening campaign.

Statistics indicate that at least 600 women die from breast cancer yearly while 4,000 test positive for cervical cancer out of which at least 2,000 die every year in Malawi.

The screening campaign will run from 5th August to 9th.