With breast and cervical cancer being identified, as the leading causes of cancer death in Botswana, non- governmental organisation, Journey of Hope Botswana has committed to increase awareness on the disease.
“Sadly, over 70 percent of patients seek medical attention when they are in the latter stages of the disease, which commonly results in loss of lives,” said Onica Lekuntwane, Coordinator of Journey of Hope Botswana.
She said Journey of Hope intends to change the status quo, so that more cases are diagnosed earlier, because cases detected early will cheaper and easier to treat.
Statistics from 2009 to 2018 show a steady increase in Botswana’s breast cancer cases. Lekuntwane said over the nine years period 1523 cases were recorded, with 65 being men.
She bemoaned that cancer has been classified as a non-communicable disease, since it can also be caused by lifestyle choices now, defying that genetics and age being known causes for the disease. Enditem
