Tendai Rupapa

Zimbabweans must utilise screening services available for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, for their effective control to reduce deaths, Health Ambassador First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa has said.

She made the remarks at the City of Harare’s Employee Wellness Funfair where she was guest of honour in recognition of her role in fighting non-communicable diseases and advocating wellness in communities countrywide.

The mother of the nation brought her Angel of Hope Foundation’s mobile hospital and clinic manned by health professionals to offer free breast, cervical and prostate cancer screening services.

Yesterday’s programme was mainly for the benefit of council workers and their families but the local authority also invited people from Zanu PF Headquarters, NetOne employees, librarians and Harare Magistrates’ Court employees.

The wellness checks covered areas like sexual reproductive health, HIV testing and counselling, National Blood Services, Adult rape clinic and Population Services Zimbabwe.

The First Lady also held an interactive session with hundreds of beneficiaries of the programme where she advocated the consumption of traditional dishes that are renowned for their health benefits.

She vowed to continue campaigning for early and free cancer screening and treatment across the provinces of Zimbabwe through wellness programmes.

Harare Mayor Councillor Jacob Mafume described the mother of the nation as a unifier who sought to improve the welfare of all the country’s citizens regardless of political or religious affiliation.

The mayor also highlighted several areas where Amai Mnangagwa had played a pivotal role in finding lasting solutions such as raising awareness on non-communicable diseases, prevention, treatment and the fight against drugs and substance abuse.

In her address, Dr Mnangagwa said wellness programmes played a critical role in preventing and addressing non-communicable diseases.

“I would like to thank the City of Harare for inviting me to preside over this significant event. Wellness programmes play a critical role in preventing and addressing non-communicable diseases in the workplace.

“I would like to commend the council and management for coming up with this excellent programme which is in line with national priorities and Sustainable Development Goal Number 3 on Health and Well-being,” she said.

The mother of the nation said wellness programmes created a supportive work environment that empowered employees to make healthier lifestyle choices, manage their health well and reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart diseases, cancer, diabetes and respiratory diseases.

“By taking an inclusive multifaceted approach, these programmes can have a substantial impact on employee well-being and productivity while also benefiting the city through reduced healthcare costs and improved engagements.

“Implementing effective workplace wellness programmes is especially crucial in our country where the burden of NCDs is high and therefore demands that we implement robust preventative programmes,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa said she was concerned about cervical and breast cancer which were affecting women in Zimbabwe. “Breast cancer is a significant health concern in Zimbabwe with it being the second worst common cause of cancer-related deaths among women after cervical cancer. Research has demonstrated that more than 80 percent of breast cancer cases in Zimbabwe present also when they are at an advanced stage leading to poor outcomes. So it is important to strengthen early diagnosis so that treatment can be affected.

“As the ambassador for health and child care and through our efforts at the Angel of Hope Foundation, I have a programme that offers a free cancer screening programme targeting breast cancer screening and cervical cancer. The team is here for this programme and I urge all the women here to utilise this service.

“I continue to urge Zimbabweans to utilise the cancer screening services available for effective control of cancer in our country. I will continue to campaign for early and free cervical cancer screening and treatment across the provinces of Zimbabwe through the wellness programmes I hold repeatedly across the country. I believe that collaborative efforts are critical in dealing with some of the NCDs that are affecting Zimbabweans. Key interventions to drive cancer control programming must be implemented in the fight against NCDs. Let us work together in developing a health workforce for a healthy nation,” she said.

Amai Mnangagwa said people needed to eat healthily.

“Today we had an awareness programme where people have been treated, when we get home what are we going to eat? Are we eating body-building foods? Men what do you want to eat?” she asked.

The question elicited a lot of responses with one man saying he enjoyed dried meat in peanut butter.

“What about you women?’ the First Lady asked and a woman said she was a fan of pizza and French fries.

The First Lady then took her time to buttress the importance of traditional dishes which are both nutritional and medicinal.

“We should also know that our country has 10 provinces which all have different types of food and we should know these foods so that when we travel there we know what to expect and how the food is prepared. Let us safeguard our health,” she said.

Dr Mnangagwa pleaded with men to undergo regular health checks.

“Men you should join your spouses in undergoing health checks not the current cases where if a woman is said to be fine, the man automatically claims to be also fine. Let’s get checked gentlemen,” she said.

“I have brought you a mobile hospital and clinic which you men must also use to be checked for prostate cancer as women are checked for breast and cervical cancer. I also lead by example through undergoing cancer screening,” she said.

The First Lady promoted unity, love and peace urging people to focus on unifying factors at the expense of divisive factors.

Mayor Mafume paid glowing tribute on the First Lady, describing her as a unifier who was apolitical.

“We have come a long way to where we are today. We have progressed well with this wellness journey. Today our employees are more aware of their health and wellness issues than before.

Your excellency, we greatly appreciate your gracing of this wellness function as just not the mother of the nation, but also crusader and ambassador for health and child care.

“Wellness programmes resonate well with your national efforts in raising awareness on issues of non-communicable disease prevention and treatment and the fight against abuse of drugs and substances. The fight against child abuse, gender-based violence and many other vices that threaten the very fabric of our families, communities and the nation of Zimbabwe,” he said.

Clr Mafume said the municipality sought to tap into the First Lady’s wealth of experience in empowering womenfolk and fostering sound healthcare for the nation.

“We are ready to tap into your wealth of experience in empowering children, women and the youth and indeed the nation and this is not the first time that the First Lady has graced our occasions. She was the first to be a friend of the city. She was proud to be with us and with this journey, we have been able to do a lot of things for the benefit of the people of Zimbabwe including taking children off the streets and placing them at Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s children’s home in Chiredzi, the traditional cookouts competitions and the focus on the national dress which she spearheaded.

Amai has been at the forefront of making a focus on how we should embrace and cook our food. She has been doing a lot and as council, we have been supporting and working with her,” he said.

The mayor said Dr Mnangagwa was setting a good example for the nation.

“Right now we greet each other and rejoice together as we focus on things that make us all live well. Vaisataudzana vakutaudzana kubudikidza naAmai. This is what we need as a nation. Those who wrote the Bible said there is a time for everything, there is a time to love, there is a time to fight, there is a time to be happy and there is time to do everything and now is the time to build our nation for our benefit and now today is the time to build our health, so we build our health together. To be able to work, we need to be healthy and alive,” he said.

Beneficiaries thanked the First Lady for availing the mobile hospital and clinic.

Mrs Nakisai Chikaka (54) said; “I am so grateful. I had never been screened for cancer and this was the first time. Several women die because of lack of knowledge but when you get screened, you will know where you stand. Sometimes when we feel pain, we do not visit a health facility attributing the pain to the pressure of work or just assuming we will recover naturally. All this while, you will not be aware that you have been damaged greatly inside. Amai is saying we should get checked and seek treatment early to save lives. Now I understand the importance of seeking health services early so that I can be treated if need be,” she said.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Mrs Nhamo Baiton (58).

“From the days of my youth to now, I had neither been screened for breast or cervical cancer. I am thankful to the First Lady for the initiative to have us screened to see if we are all fine in terms of health. Whenever people have been called out to such programmes, let us come out of our homes and come forward to be screened free of charge. We have been called to come forward but I was initially hesitant. I later realised the importance of it all. We also thank the City of Harare for organising this programme for us,” she said.

The sentiments dovetailed with those of Ms Vennah Tambidze (38).

“I am thankful to the First Lady for the cancer screening programme she has extended to us on this day as municipal workers. It is not a programme for municipal workers alone, it is a programme encouraging all womenfolk to be screened for cancers. People have various ailments but if they are detected early, you are commenced on treatment early so that you live longer. I urge all the people out there to visit health facilities for assistance on time. Our bosses encouraged us to embrace the cancer screening opportunity,” she said.

In his closing remarks, Town Clerk Mr Hosiah Chisango said; “On behalf of the city of Harare and the entire staff, I would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe Dr A. Mnangagwa for your keynote address on wellness and welfare issues. We took this Your Excellency from a truncheon call by His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe Dr Mnangagwa when he addressed local authorities when he said no compromise to service delivery so we disaggregated his speech into 17 thematic areas and employee wellness is one of the 17 thematic areas where we are saying our employees have got to be well for them to be productive and be able to serve the citizens of Harare,” he said. – Herald