She
said
that
the
finance
minister
has
committed
to
using
funds
from
the
sugar
tax
to
invest
in
state-of-the-art
medical
equipment
and
to
fund
cancer
research.
“I
spoke
to
the
Minister
of
Finance,
and
he
agreed
to
help.
He
informed
me
that
they
have
ring-fenced
money
from
the
sugar
tax,
which
will
be
used
to
purchase
advanced
medical
equipment
and
conduct
essential
research.
Our
scientists
need
to
focus
on
developing
treatments
for
cancer
at
all
stages,”
Dr
Khupe
said
during
an
interview
on
the
CITE’s
View.
Khupe,
who
is
also
the
Patron
of
the
Thokozani
Khupe
Cancer
Foundation
and
a
Member
of
Parliament
for
Bulawayo,
emphasised
her
vision
for
Zimbabwe
to
become
a
leader
in
cancer
treatment,
where
people
from
across
the
region
can
come
for
care.
“My
dream
is
for
Zimbabwe
to
lead
in
cancer
treatment,
so
that
people
from
other
regions
come
here
instead
of
us
going
to
South
Africa,
India,
or
the
UK.
Treatment
must
be
available,
accessible,
and
affordable
here
in
Zimbabwe,”
she
added.
Khupe
highlighted
the
current
challenges
with
cancer
diagnosis
in
Zimbabwe,
particularly
the
lack
of
functional
equipment
in
public
hospitals.
She
recounted
instances
where
Mpilo
Central
Hospital
did
not
have
working
mammogram
machines,
and
patients
were
forced
to
pay
high
fees
at
private
hospitals.
“We
have
educated
people
to
self-examine,
but
when
they
find
something
wrong
and
go
to
a
hospital,
what
then?
Mpilo’s
equipment
wasn’t
working,
and
the
same
goes
for
Parirenyatwa.
We
need
functional,
state-of-the-art
equipment
like
combined
CT
and
PET
scans,
mammograms,
and
radiation
machines
to
provide
accurate
diagnoses
and
the
right
treatment,”
Khupe
explained.
She
spoke
from
personal
experience,
sharing
how
she
received
multiple
wrong
diagnoses
in
Zimbabwe,
South
Africa,
and
India,
before
finally
receiving
the
correct
diagnosis
of
lobular
breast
cancer
in
the
UK.
The
advanced
diagnostic
tools
in
the
UK,
she
said,
made
a
critical
difference.
“The
importance
of
getting
the
right
diagnosis
cannot
be
overstated.
It
leads
to
the
right
treatment
and
can
prolong
life.
Sadly,
when
people
get
the
wrong
diagnosis,
it
often
leads
to
death,”
Khupe
noted.
Khupe
also
emphasised
the
need
for
investment
in
research
and
development
of
cancer
medications.
She
urged
the
government
to
increase
funding
for
cancer
research,
particularly
to
find
new
treatments
and
medications
that
would
help
Zimbabwe
stay
ahead
of
the
disease.
“As
much
as
we
need
state-of-the-art
equipment,
we
also
need
medication
for
all
types
of
cancer.
Research
and
development
are
crucial
to
keeping
us
ahead
of
the
disease.
We
need
new
medications
so
that
we
always
have
options
when
one
treatment
stops
working,”
she
said.
“Development
is
not
rocket
science,
it’s
discovering
what
other
people
did,
coping
from
other
people.
Let’s
copy
from
the
UK.
I
am
appealing
to
the
government
to
make
sure
they
put
more
money
into
research
and
development
particularly
on
cancer
so
that
we
can
come
up
with
cancer
medications.”
Khupe
noted
that
Mpilo
and
Parirenyatwa
were
two
major
referral
public
hospitals
which
have
cancer
units,
which
must
be
“fully
equipped”
with
the
state
of
the
arts
and
all
cancer
medication
so
anyone
in
Zimbabwe
who
walks
in
there
receives
treatment
immediately.
“Someone
would
rather
travel
from
Binga
to
Mpilo
for
treatment
than
for
them
to
travel
from
Binga
to
South
Africa,
the
UK
or
India.
Someone
would
rather
travel
from
Chipinge
to
Parirenyatwa
than
go
to
the
UK,”
said
the
MP.
Apart
from
raising
awareness,
having
state-of-the-art
equipment,
conducting
research
and
development,
Khupe
emphasised
that
one
prevention
and
possible
method
was
living
a
“clean
lifestyle
and
eating
traditional
foods.”
As
a
result,
Khupe
praised
the
First
Lady’s
efforts
to
promote
traditional
foods
as
part
of
a
healthy
lifestyle,
linking
good
nutrition
to
better
health
outcomes.
“I
have
already
changed
and
I
am
now
eating
more
traditional
foods
than
processed
foods
because
processed
foods
contribute
more
to
this
cancer.
When
I
was
in
India
one
of
the
doctors
said
the
best
medication
is
one’s
food.
Once
your
body
is
nourished,
it
can
fight
any
disease
but
when
malnourished
you
can
easily
succumb
to
that
disease,”
she
explained.
“When
it
comes
to
the
lives
of
people,
stop
politicising
issues,
look
at
what
the
First
Lady
is
doing.
She
is
popularising
traditional
foods
and
I
was
saying
let’s
embrace
this
programme
so
people
start
eating
them.
Right
now
we
are
talking
of
life
and
death
,
it’s
a
very
good
programme
we
must
all
run
with
it.”
As
part
of
her
advocacy,
Dr.
Khupe
has
also
brought
the
issue
of
cancer
awareness
to
Parliament.
She
has
called
on
MPs
to
conduct
cancer
awareness
programmes
in
their
constituencies
during
October,
which
is
Breast
Cancer
Awareness
Month.
The
MP
also
announced
plans
for
the
formation
of
a
cancer
caucus
in
Parliament,
aimed
at
pushing
for
better
government
action
on
cancer
treatment
and
research.
“I
raised
a
matter
of
national
interest
last
week
–
calling
on
the
Speaker
to
set
aside
a
day
every
October
to
talk
about
cancer,”
she
said.
“We
are
going
to
push
hard
to
make
sure
the
Ministers
of
Finance
and
Health
address
these
issues.
”
Khupe
also
called
for
more
partnerships
with
her
foundation,
urging
individuals
and
organisations
to
join
the
cause
of
cancer
awareness,
research,
and
treatment
in
Zimbabwe.
““The
foundation
has
limitations
not
funded
by
anybody
but
through
my
own
initiatives
working
with
councillor
Ntando
Ndlovu,
Addelis
Sibutha
and
others.
We
try
to
do
what
we
can
to
make
sure
to
reach
the
few
we
can
.
better
than
not
doing
anything,”
she
said.
“If
you
want
to
partner
the
foundation
can
email
me
on thoko63@yahoo.co.uk and
my
number
is
+263785891171.”
Chris
Kathryn
