Category: Health

Despite regular exercises and eating a balanced diet and green vegetables, the mother of three never thought it could happen to her.

“It was not something I imagined, not even in my dreams that I could be a victim,” said the resident in Nyarugenge district, on the outskirts of Rwanda’s capital, Kigali.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, but luckily, she has recovered and encourages women to take prevention seriously.

Awareness campaigns on breast cancer are running throughout October in Rwanda, featuring awareness walks and screening women and girls for breast cancer using breast clinical examination.

In 2020, at least 2.3 million women worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer and 685,000 died from the disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Four women are diagnosed with breast cancer every minute, and it is projected that the number of breast cancer cases will double over the next 20 years in less developed countries, the WHO says.

In Rwanda, at least 650 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, the majority of whom succumbed to the disease due to late diagnosis, according to the Ministry of Health.

Breast cancer remains the most common among cases recorded in the east African country, followed by cervical, prostate, stomach and liver cancers.

Talking about her experience, Uwumukiza recalled that it was during a self-check routine when she felt a lump. She underwent a breast clinical examination which confirmed it was cancer.

“I couldn’t believe, and wondered why it had happened to me,” she said.

Uwumukiza started her chemotherapy at a hospital in neighboring Kenya’s capital Nairobi as her family had the financial means.

The therapy succeeded and she had surgery to remove the area where the lump was found. She later underwent radiotherapy.

“I think this was one of the most difficult moments in my life because of the excruciating pain,” she said. “As a survivor, I feel proud because I had a second chance to be still alive today.”

Early detection through periodic breast self-examination gives patients the best chance of survival, Daniel Ngamije, Rwanda’s Health Minister said during a recent awareness campaign in Kigali.

“Common symptoms can easily be detected such as a lump in the breast or armpit, swelling of part of the breast, irritation or dimpling of breast skin, pulling in of the nipple,” he said.

Other symptoms include nipple discharge, including blood, pain in the breast, or redness around the nipple.

Now Uwumukiza’s goal is to spread awareness among young women in Rwanda, in particular about the importance of check-ups.

She said other than targeting older women for awareness most times, young women need awareness too. “We need to teach younger women how to care about their bodies and open up to their parents or doctor when they feel anything strange,” she said.

Uwumukiza believes while high cost and lack of developed treatment infrastructure in developing countries is a challenge, ignorance and lack of awareness are the real killers of people. Delays in screening, diagnosis, and treatment due to a lack of awareness are a challenge, she said.

Health officials say 80 percent of breast lumps are not cancerous but there is still a 20 percent chance. Women are encouraged to have mammograms before the age of 40.

Other Rwandan breast cancer survivors Jackline Musoni and Charlotte Uwimana said the earlier one finds out, the higher the chances of getting cured. “Not checking and ignoring symptoms is deadly.”

“With early detection, breast cancer heals with strict adherence to health advice,” said Musoni.

Noting that men can also suffer from breast cancer, Minister Ngamije said Rwanda now has a full capacity of treating breast cancer patients once detected early.

The two UN agencies, in a joint statement issued in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to mark World Mental Health Day confirmed commitment to joint action to make mental health a priority.

Mohamed M. Fall, UNICEF regional director for eastern and southern Africa, said the impact of violence or humanitarian crises is not limited to economic impact, noting that the invisible wounds suffered by communities must also be at the heart of the interventions. “The psychological distress in which hundreds of thousands of children and parents live across the continent has a dramatic impact on individuals and by extension on the well-being and development of societies,” Fall said.

The UN agencies said children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable, adding that Africa has one of the highest numbers of children and adolescents globally. They said the last 12 months have seen families and communities under growing strain as a result of the impact of climate shocks, global inflation and economic hardship.

Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are facing extreme droughts, while in the Sahel area, armed groups have stepped up exactions on communities, leading to massive displacement, the UN agencies said.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said mental health is integral to wholesome health and well-being. “The greatest challenge to adequate mental health service provision in Africa is the chronically low investments by governments. It’s time for a radical change,” Moeti said.

The UN agencies said the serious gaps that exist in mental health care in the region are a result of historic under-investment in mental health promotion, prevention and care.

The two agencies in 2020 agreed on a ten-year partnership on mental health, which seeks to address some of the main challenges to mental health and limitations in access to support.

Joint initiatives are underway in Nigeria, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, with both agencies working with governments to scale up mental health and psychosocial support services across sectors, according to the UN agencies.

According to the UN, responses to mental health need to encompass support beyond the area of specialized mental health services, including child and family services, education, protection, violence prevention, community support, housing and social protection.

Dossy Uwera (not real names) is among girls who went to a gynecologist for consultations. As she says, the first visit was fairly interesting.

Irakoze was accompanied by her mother but was caught in dilemma to hear the first question from a gynecologist who wanted to know if she was sexually active.

“This forced my mother to turn to me waiting for my answer,” narrated Irakoze.

“Between having to undress, the cold liquid referred to as ‘KY JELLY’ and having a man ask me questions such as; ‘do you plan on having a baby? Are you pregnant? Are you on any contraceptive pills? You go blank and don’t know what to say especially when your guardian is around,” said another young girl.

A 20-year old girl who also spoke to us on condition of anonymity has recounted her experience when she found herself in a situation where the only option was to consult a gynecologist after having unprotected sex.

“I was at the gynecologist because I had sex for the first time. A few weeks later, my vagina was itchy and I started to notice a few bumps on the sides. After a lot of Google searches, I got suspicious that I had contracted a disease or infection. I remember how scared I got.

I decided to go to a clinic and consult a gynecologist with whom we had a conversation that will forever be on my mind. Trying to precise where I had a problem was almost impossible. I could barely see the doctor in the eye and consider leaving right then or just lying to relieve the stress on me,” she said.

At some point, a patient will be asked to remove their trousers or raise their dress or skirt and lay on a little bed in the doctor’s office for an examination. As invasive as this sounds, it is the reality and triggers mixed reactions whether from an emotional level, religious values or cultural context.

Some checkups end with not only a doctor seeing patients’ private parts, but also some doctors do require to physically touch the private parts of their patients as part of the process to identify the right cause of suffering.

Poor communication during this procedure can cause a lot of misunderstandings, which can make the patient feel uncomfortable and push her to avoid the next appointment.

Knowing a patient’s medical history plays a significant role for the doctor to know if a patient has been sexually active or pregnant, hence informing his decision to recommend prescriptions matching with their health conditions.

Besides, this question is very important, especially in finding out whether the potential mother is aware that she is pregnant or not.

According to Dr. Magnifique Irakoze an Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Lecturer at the University of Rwanda; health care providers, be it doctors, nurses or midwives, rely on the patient’s information gathered through a conversation not recorded medical history.

This conversation helps the health care provider to get to know where to focus on for physical exam and know right laboratory tests. A good medical history contributes around 80% to to better treatment and right diagnosis whereby lying to a gynecologist could lead to worsened health conditions or take long to recover.

As Dr. Irakoze explained; the Gynecologist, like any other doctor, asks you the reason for the visit, an opening question like; how can I help you? Why did you come to see me today? What is the problem?

After the patient’s response to those questions, the doctor proceeds to ask additional questions and this will imply what physical exams to be done, which symptoms to focus on most, and any para-clinical exams needed. This can be laboratory or imaging exams.

Dr. Obed Budoromyi, another medical doctor who spoke to us has shed light on the relevance of frequently asked questions and their contribution to the healing process.

“They ask if you are sexually active because some of the diseases can be transmitted to sexually active people. They are more exposed than non-sexually active people and remember that if you are sexually active, you are more prone to getting pregnant than a person who is abstaining from sex,” he said.

Dr. Obed Budoromyi further revealed that contraceptive pills have a very huge impact on a woman’s health as they do not work well with other medication in some cases.

When asked what the worst scenario would be if a patient lied about their answers to their gynecologists, Dr. Dr. Budoromyi, explained that the gynecologist will not be able to diagnose a patient accurately which also affects prescriptions.

A patient or guardian has the right to ask for detailed explanations before undergoing any testing or treatment and have their questions answered. The doctor is required to give accurate and honest answers that can be comprehended by the patient or their guardian.

The vaccine has been jointly developed by the Serum Institute of India, located in Pune city in the southern western state of Maharashtra, and the Department of Biotechnology under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.

Launching the vaccine, the minister said that cervical cancer ranked as the second most prevalent cancer in India, and accounted for nearly one-fourth of the world’s cervical cancer deaths despite being largely preventable.

He said current estimates indicated that every year approximately 125,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and over 75,000 died from the disease in India, and 83 percent of invasive cervical cancers were attributed to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16 or 18 in India.

The minister said that the most promising intervention for preventing cervical cancer was vaccination against the HPV.

“It is estimated that HPV types 16 and 18 (HPV-16 and HPV-18) together contribute to approximately 70 percent of all invasive cervical cancer cases worldwide,” he added.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti underscored the critical role of herbal medicine in lessening the burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases in the continent.

“Traditional medicine has been the trusted, acceptable, affordable and accessible source of health care for African populations for centuries,” Moeti said in a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, marking the 2022 African Traditional Medicine Day.

Eighty percent of Africa’s population relies on traditional medicine for their basic health needs, she said, adding that the continent has prioritized its development through enactment of policies, research and training.

The 2022 African Traditional Medicine Day was being celebrated under the theme of “Two Decades of African Traditional Medicine Day: Progress Towards Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Africa.”

Moeti noted that in the last two decades, the continent has come up with ambitious strategies to mainstream traditional medicine in national healthcare programs.

In particular, Moeti said, more than 40 African countries have developed national traditional medicine policies as of 2022, up from eight in 2000, while 30 countries have also integrated traditional medicine into their national health policies.

“Additionally, 39 countries have established regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine practitioners, compared to only one in 2000, demonstrating good governance and leadership,” she said.

Currently, 34 research institutes aimed at promoting research, development and commercialization of traditional medicine have been established in 26 countries, Moeti said.

She noted that 12 African countries have dedicated funds toward research and development of traditional medicine, adding that domestication of WHO protocols on safety and efficacy of traditional medicine have enhanced their use in treating priority diseases like HIV/AIDs, malaria, diabetes and hypertension.