MDC-T acting president, Thokozani Khupe, has called for the fast-tracking of the Cancer Act to ensure that people who suffer from the disease receive the necessary government assistance as is the case with those living with HIV and AIDS.
Many people in Zimbabwe including MDC-T founding leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, have succumbed to Cancer, which has become one of the killer diseases.
The non-communicable disease, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), impacts 2.1 million each year and causes the greatest number of cancer-related deaths among women.
Experts say early detection and diagnosis is the best way to improve chances of survival among affected women as most of them present cancer in very late stages.
“Cancer is undisputedly a rising epidemic,” said Khupe in the August House Tuesday.
“It is now worse than HIV and AIDS. It is therefore important that the Cancer Act is fast tracked into this Parliament because the sad reality is that in Africa, people only realise that they have cancer when their cancers are stages 4 and these are advanced stages and very little can be done.”
The former Deputy Prime Minister and Cancer survivor in her own right, Khupe said the Cancer Act was long overdue.
“I am appealing to the relevant Minister so that they bring the Cancer Bill into this Parliament so that it becomes an Act and Cancer treatment is available, accessible and affordable.”
