As part of CANSA Care Week during August, the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA)’s Mobile Health Clinics are providing cancer education and information to help reduce the cancer risk as well as cancer screening and early detection programmes.

Mobile Health Clinics will be operating from the towns of Polokwane, Witbank, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Bloemfontein, Gauteng West, Eldorado Park, Pretoria, Upington, West Coast, George and Rustenburg during the first two weeks of August.

“We encourage the community to make use of this opportunity, and visit one of our Mobile Health Clinics, or visit one of the many CANSA Care Centres across the country – get yourself screened, get educated and be informed,” encourages CANSA’s acting CEO, Elize Joubert.

Nqobile Nkabinde, a care worker from the Soshanguve Community Clinic took part in a recent CANSA wellness and screening day at the clinic and says; “As a field worker, I get exposed to different things on a daily basis and I always grab the opportunity of being screened every time CANSA does wellness and screening at the clinics. I am deeply touched by women I meet during my daily home visits, since most of them discovered at a late stage that they have cancer that could have been detected much sooner if they had gone for screening.  As part of my home visits, I educate the women about the importance of early detection of cancer.”

Joubert adds, “We know that early detection is important to help with more effective treatment and have a better chance of recovering from cancer. Ignorance and late diagnosis of cancer can lead to a poor response to treatment and a poor diagnosis. And it’s also important to know what screening options are available to you, especially if you have a family history of cancer.”

For more information, visit www.cansa.org.za  Alternatively connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.