Project Phakamisa goes national: Helping breast cancer patients help themselves
Breast cancer is currently a leading cause of death amongst women in Africa. In South Africa alone, it is estimated that one in every 29 women is diagnosed with the disease every year, with the number of diagnosis amongst young black South African women continuously increasing [1],[2]. The real tragedy however, is that many affected individuals cannot afford or access proper, sustained medical care.
Right: Top Row Dr Guni Goolab (AstraZeneca CEO), Dr Liana Roodt (Surgeon), Leon Spamer (Phakamisa Project Manager) and Dr Michael Mol. Bottom Row Dr Imran Parker, Lillian Dube (actress and breast cancer survivor) and Edna Arends (Department of Health)
AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd, a company with a strong heritage in oncology, has mobilised its access to medicine initiative - Project Phakamisa into two new centres, Durban and Cape Town. Meaning 'to uplift', Phakamisa is supporting the South African health care system by encouraging healthy women, those newly diagnosed with breast cancer, and existing patients battling the disease, to take responsibility for their breast health.
Active in Gauteng over the last six months, Project Phakamisa is already proving its worth. Between January 2011 and April 2011, 25 Phakamisa volunteers hosted a total number of 435 public education and awareness programmes - reaching an estimated 16 200 women. Out of the 305 women who have detected breast lumps, 25 cases have been reportedly malignant.
Holistic approach
Based on a three pillar holistic approach, Phakamisa aims to: drive disease awareness amongst members of the public who have limited access to medical assistance; increase timeous patient access to the right medicines amongst patients with no medical aid; and, importantly, to strengthen and support the current health systems used to manage the process experienced by patients. In particular, it is the aim of Phakamisa to shorten the referral time frame from which a patient is diagnosed to when they receive treatment.
To address these objectives, Phakamisa has initiated two intensive educational programmes. The first is targeted at professional health care providers in the public sector and the second targets community-based volunteers. In partnership with the Foundation of Professional Development, Phakamisa has developed CME accredited courses for nurses and doctors, aimed at equipping professionals with the skills to manage the treatment process of cancer patients better. On a community level, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and Breast Health Foundation volunteers are being trained to educate women about breast cancer, early diagnosis and the importance of following a scientifically-based treatment regime.
Thousands reached
In collaboration with CANSA and the Breast Health Foundation, the project aims to train 400 volunteers across the country by the end of the year. To date 135 candidates have already completed their training and are actively rolling-out awareness programmes within schools, churches and community centres, encouraging women to complete a monthly self-examination of the breasts. Future campaigns will include workshops aimed at high-school learners, who have the ability to influence their mothers and grandmothers positively in their opinions of the disease. With the number of active Phakamisa volunteers increasing steadily, it's expected that approximately 87 000 women living in South Africa will be reached through the initiative before the end of the year.
Armed with pink Phakamisa cell phones, the volunteers have access to a special mobile online resource which equips each volunteer with up to date information about breast cancer and treatments. Using these phones, the volunteers are also able to track the progress of newly diagnosed community members and whether or not patients are complying with their treatment programme.
Additionally, members of the public are also able to access the Phakamisa mobi-site and official website - Phakamisa.me - to gather further information about the disease and women's health in general. Through further social media platforms, such as the Phakamisa Facebook and Twitter page, young South African women can stay connected in the fight against breast cancer.
Committed
"At AstraZeneca SA, we're committed to bettering the lives of cancer patients and their families," says Phakamisa project manager Leon Spamer. "Many South African women are unaware of the facts about the disease and cannot afford adequate health cover. The aim of this project is therefore to provide desperately needed knowledge and support resources so that women can identify, prevent, and manage breast cancer, within their often-limited means. For those with breast cancer, we strive to provide not only the best possible treatment plans, but also to play an integral role in improving support for those brave women fighting the disease."
National supporters of Project Phakamisa include CANSA, the Breast Health Foundation, the Foundation for Professional Development and the Department of Health, who will collaborate to make a difference in the fight against this insidious disease.
Phakamisa welcomes any form of collaboration to better the fight against breast cancer and to improve the lives of patients suffering from breast cancer. For more information on breast health and breast cancer, you can call the Help Line, 0861 PHAKAMISA (0861 742 526 472) or go to www.phakamisa.me.
References:
1. http://www.cansa.org.za/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news&cat=822&cause_id=1056 (Accessed 29-06-2011)
2. http://www.safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/viewFile/929/1295 (Accessed 29-06-2011)
