The Sunday Mail
Gender and Community Editor
HUNDREDS of women turned up to receive free cervical cancer screening in Harare on Saturday during an outreach programme held through collaboration between the Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Association, National Aids Council and other partners.
The women had the opportunity to use self-sampling kits developed to address the need for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in low-resource areas.
The careHPV kits, which were supplied by Qiagen, a company specialising in sampling and diagnostic technologiesis, are a prequalified testing tool used for screening of women aged 30 years and above using a simple brush.
It falls under the World Health Organisation recommended DNA-based testing methods.
The tests facilitate early treatment of HPV before it develops into cervical cancer, the second most common cancer globally.
With the test kit women were able to collect samples without the assistance of medical professionals, before the samples were sent to Diagnostic Laboratory Suppliers.
Where one tests positive, treatment is provided by Population Solutions of Health Zimbabwe.
Qiagen director of global emerging markets Ms Simona Grandits said the programme had been oversubscribed.
She said self-sampling enables at least 90 women to be tested within three hours.
“What we are fighting for is that the Ministry of Health and Child Care is supporting us with a national organised screening that will mean we will provide the testing to women, said Ms Grandits.
“Every late detection may cause death, so what we are promoting here during the organised screening is if you are negative you can be assured that most probably the next five years you will be safe.
“Screening will make us aware of our HPV status and reassure us that we are safe for the coming months and years.”
Zimbabwe Ladies Golf Union president Ms Margaret Vera, said the programme was geared to affirm that women’s health was important.
“Our partnering with NAC and Diagnostic Laboratory Services is just to encourage women to be more proactive and take their health issues into their hands and more seriously,” she said.
HIV testing and counselling as well as Covid-19 vaccination services were also provided at the event.
