First Mutual Health offers cervical cancer screening

FMHL is a leading financial services group with subsidiaries that include First Mutual Properties, First Mutual Health, Tristar Insurance Company, First Mutual Wealth Management, First Mutual Reinsurance and FMRE Property and Casualty (Botswana).

FIRST Mutual Health, as part of its Corporate Social Responsible Programme, in partnership with the Cancer Association of Zimbabwe and CitiMed Hospital, conducted a cervical cancer screening programme on Saturday 19 May and Sunday 20 May 2018 at CitiMed Hospital in Chitungwiza.  Additionally, other services which include breast cancer screening, HIV counselling and testing, BP checks and blood sugar tests were also offered free of charge.

A total of 163 women were screened. Of these, 152 had negative results, 8 (4,9 percent) had positive results and were referred to the Cancer Association for treatment. 1 had a cervix which was suspicious of cancer and was referred to Chitungwiza General Hospital for further investigation. Two women were also referred for further investigations.  Of interest was the fact that an estimate of 25 percent of the women did not come from the Chitungwiza catchment but came from areas as far as Bindura, Nyabira, Dzivarasekwa, Glen Norah, Mt Pleasant, Highfield and Waterfalls.  This bears testimony that people are now cognisant of the dangers of cervical cancer if not detected early and this has been propelled by the national cervical cancer awareness programme that has been championed by the First Lady, Auxillia Mnangagwa.

“Almost all the women that were attended to expressed their gratitude to First Mutual Health, CitiMed and Cancer Association for such a noble cause and to note is that only 29 women of the beneficiaries (17,8 percent) had had previous screening” said Junior Mavu, General Manager for Cancer Association of Zimbabwe.

First Mutual Health is a subsidiary of First Mutual Holdings Limited and the Group, additionally, through its robust corporate social responsibility programme, continues to impact positively on the future of young Zimbabweans with educational assistance. This is done through the First Mutual Foundation whose objective is to promote and raise the standard of living of the less privileged by availing them the opportunity to attain education.