It is located at the 60-bed oncology centre of Antananarivo’s Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital and is frequently broken. Cancer care is beyond the reach of all but a tiny minority. For those in rural areas, the vastness of the island poses an additional challenge: the cost of travelling to the capital for treatment. Patients have been known to simply walk out of the centre midway through their treatment once their funds are used up.
Gynaecological and breast cancers are leading causes of mortality among Madagascar’s women. Here again there is a catastrophic lack of medical equipment (six mammography devices for the entire country). Cultural barriers must also be overcome. For example, there is a stigma about gynaecological examinations, especially among rural women. This means that some 60% of cancers are only spotted at a late stage and are consequently difficult to treat.
The Soroptimist Union of Madagascar has mobilised its network of 13 clubs, some in very remote areas, to encourage screening and early detection. They have also carried out over 150 medical checks. Working with SI Club Saint-Denis de la Réunion, these activities have included school visits and awareness-raising events with film projections and the distribution of a breast self-examination guide.