Multi-lingual cancer help-kit en route

The Cancer Coping Kit has been reproduced in four languages, namely English, seSotho, isiZulu and Afrikaans in order to assist patients and their families cope with the disease during their road to recovery.

The kit will be unveiled at the Johannesburg General Hospital in Parktown on Wednesday, which is also International Volunteer Day.

These kits will be given out free of charge, thanks to the sponsorship by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (NLDTF).

This is one of many community-based services sponsored by the Lotto.

The organisers said there will be a major announcement about funding of CANSA services.

Speakers include Sue Janse van Rensburg, CANSA National Executive Director and cancer survivor; Professor Paul Ruff, Head of Oncology at the Johannesburg General Hospital; Dr Elizabeth Kay-Petersen of the Gauteng Department of Health and Bev du Toit, cancer survivor and one of the producers of the kit.

CANSA is a 76-year-old organisation dedicated to fighting cancer to save lives through a range of prevention programmes and patient care services.

One in four South Africans is affected by cancer in his or her lifetime and over 80,000 are lost to the disease each year, says CANSA.

Delivering the Health Department's budget vote in June this year, Minister Manto Tshabalala Msimang said the department would amongst others, intensify programmes on women's health including increasing access to cervical cancer screening to prevent invasive cervical cancer.

Speaking on World No Tobacco day in May this year, Free State Health MEC Sakhiwo Belot said second-hand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in non-smoking adults.

MEC Belot added that non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke at home or at work increase their heart disease risk by 25 to 30% and their lung cancer risk by 20 to 30%.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews