Khayelitsha clinic remains steadfast in fighting cervical cancer

Staff members at the Khayelitsha Community Health Clinic working in the Khayelitsha Cervical Cancer Screening Project. Picture: Supplied

Staff members at the Khayelitsha Community Health Clinic working in the Khayelitsha Cervical Cancer Screening Project. Picture: Supplied

Published Aug 16, 2022

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In its 27 years of existence, the Khayelitsha Cervical Cancer Screening Project (KCCSP) has screened nearly 60 000 women for cervical cancer.

Since 1995, the clinic has contributed to research into cervical cancer prevention and treatment options and provides screening and treatment for the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The project was established in partnership with Groote Schuur Hospital (a UCT teaching hospital), the Cancer Association of South Africa and Columbia University and is based at the Khayelitsha Community Health Clinic precinct in Site B.

Thandeka Fatoyi is one of the clinic’s newer patients and said she was blown away by the service the health-care workers provided.

“I received so much compassion and kindness, which they offer to all their patients,” she said.

Lisa Figlan said since visiting the clinic, her mind has been at ease.

“Having the free clinic right on my doorstep is a bonus and means that I don’t have to travel long distances for care,” she said.

She added: “The clinic has helped me on my journey to good health. The health-care workers’ innate ability to make patients comfortable and feel at home, despite their underlying stresses, doesn’t go unnoticed.”

UCT Professor Lynette Denny spearheads the project and has actively worked in researching cervical cancer in South Africa and Africa.

Denny said to help prevent cervical cancer, the clinic has been researching and evaluating alternative methods to conduct a Pap smear.

“Pap smear-based programmes are effective and work well when implemented correctly, but the infrastructure and resource requirements are above the pockets of low- and middle-income countries,” she said.

Denny said the KCCSP has developed and introduced a programme to ensure that women receive effective, safe, acceptable, affordable and feasible care.

“The screen and treat approach programme is designed to detect and treat women with precancerous lesions of the cervix,” she said.

“It provides a simple method of treatment that can easily be performed by trained nursing sisters on site,” she added.

“Implementation is often the most difficult part of the research. We will need to work very closely with local, provincial and national departments of health to make screen and treat a reality.”

Weekend Argus

Keshia Africa

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