Mrs Mnangagwa clinches cancer treatment deal

First Lady Auxilia Mnangagwa has clinched a fellowship programme for local doctors with Merck Foundation that will aim to boost the limited number of oncologists in Zimbabwe and train the existing ones.

The aim of the partnership is to build a strong platform of qualified medical, paediatric and surgical oncologists across Zimbabwe through the Merck Africa Oncology Fellowship Programme.

This comes as Zimbabwe is in the throes of worsening cancer crisis, with the burgeoning number of patients with little access to expertise and the expensive cancer treatments.

"This is an exciting breakthrough for Zimbabwe. This foundation is bringing training for our doctors and empowerment of women and young girls.

"Some of our doctors will go to India for specialist training.  We are also going to add on prostate cancer awareness and screening adding on to our cervical and breast cancer screening for women...

"There is also going to be media training and awards ... through the support of Merck Foundation," the first lady said.

Merck Foundation CEO Rasha Kalej says they have a long-term commitment to build skills capacity in oncology, infertility and diabetes.