Each October, women across the country come together to highlight the plight of breast cancer sufferers and survivors in South Africa. According to Breast Cancer Research, breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. In South Africa, it is the most common cancer among women, representing 22.6% of all female cancers and 16% of cancer deaths among women.
Despite these statistics, one organisation, PinkDrive has spent 15 years ensuring that more women have access to early detection and treatment facilities. They have been at the forefront of the fight against breast cancer, and thanks to their work, with the help of their partners, the prognosis is looking good.
More than half a million helped
Access to early detection is critical for public awareness. Through the efforts of organisations like PinkDrive, hundreds of thousands of South Africans have lived longer lives. Nelius Du Preez, Operations Manager at PinkDrive, says, “Over the years, there has been a significant increase in public awareness around breast cancer in rural and peri-urban areas of South Africa. A lot of that is down to the work that various organisations like ours have done to increase access.”
“To date, one of our biggest achievements has been the launch of three – soon to be four by 30 October – PinkDrive trucks. These trucks have helped over 500,000 women and men know their cancer status, reaching people in areas that previously would have struggled to get the appropriate care.”
Beyond giving thousands access to their cancer status, PinkDrive has also completed:
- 27,128 mammograms
- 434,832 clinical breast examinations
- 10,981 pap smears
- 3,640 male breast check examinations
- 21,008 prostate-specific antigen tests
The way forward
Despite these efforts, the battle against cancer remains an uphill one. Breast cancer cases have been steadily on the rise over the past 20 years. Data from the South African National Cancer Registry (NCR) and the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR) show that breast cancer now accounts for 14-30% of all cancers in women. The study found that breast cancer is more common in women of European descent (1 in 13) compared to black women (1 in 81).
What is also concerning, is that 50-57% of South African women are diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer (stages III or IV), with black women being more affected by advanced-stage diagnoses. The study also found that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a more aggressive form of the disease, is more common in black women, leading to lower survival rates compared to white women.
Turning the tide
Taylor Kwong, Head of Marketing at Vuma, says, “Creating partnerships like the one we have with PinkDrive is a crucial part of how we connect with our communities. We are especially proud of how we have been able to join hands with PinkDrive and equip them with the essential resources needed to create a lasting impact in people’s lives, particularly in underserviced communities.”
Partnerships are how organisations like PinkDrive have been able to fight back against breast cancer. “As a Non-Profit Company, our biggest challenge is sustainability – keeping our trucks and medical teams on the road. We’re fortunate to have incredible partners like Vuma, one of South Africa’s leading fibre network operators (FNO) who help keep us going, however, further assistance and partnership would come in handy in fighting cancer,” says Du Preez.
In February, the World Health Organization projected that, if necessary measures are not taken, cancer deaths could exceed one million annually by 2030. This means that cancer death rates in Africa are expected to surpass the global average by 30%. By supporting the work of organisations like PinkDrive, everyone can do their part to stem the tide and hopefully create a world that we can one-day call cancer-free.
