As International Day of Action for Women’s Health approaches, the Tshemba Foundation is urging obstetric and gynaecological specialists to increase their efforts to improve female healthcare in South Africa, especially in rural areas.
Despite the existence of clinics and primary healthcare facilities in these communities, specialist services are often absent or insufficiently equipped to meet the needs of women in the area.
Even when women are aware of the available services, limited community-based knowledge and trust in doctors make it challenging for them to seek treatment when they need it.
Cases of cervical cancer have remained high in the country, despite being one of the most preventable forms of cancer.
Dr Nicole Fiolet, women’s health project manager at Tshemba Foundation, says this issue represents a significant barrier to women’s ability to care for their families and earn an income, which can have a ripple effect on the community.
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the second most frequently occurring cancer in women in South Africa, with an estimated 5 743 new cases and 3 071 deaths occurring each year.
The situation is compounded by the fact that maternal and menstrual health care still carries a significant stigma in certain population groups in the area. However, education, coupled with an increased presence of specialists, can help to overcome these taboos and encourage more women to seek treatment.
The Tshemba Foundation, a non-profit organisation that mobilises medical volunteers to provide essential support at Tintswalo Hospital in rural Acornhoek, Mpumalanga, is pushing for greater access to specialist obstetric and gynaecological care in South Africa.
The foundation’s obstetrician-gynaecologist volunteers are instrumental in breaking down the barriers that prevent women from accessing the care they need, through patient care, and engagement with the Tintswalo community.
“Very few women in our community who should be getting pap smears, visit their health clinic to receive them. This is just one element of female health care that is very important for long-term well-being,” said Dr Fiolet.
She said: “We also find that many tend to accept, and ignore, abnormal symptoms, such as bleeding outside their menstrual cycle, or after they have gone through menopause.
“These can be signs of advanced-stage cancer, that has progressed too far for treatment to be effective. This is why driving individual and collective health education focused on consistent screening is so important.”
Sister Lettie Mogakane, an employee at Tintswalo since 1998, has witnessed the positive impact of Tshemba volunteers. According to her, the lack of education is the biggest challenge faced by the community.
The doctors’ efforts to engage with the community, such as speaking to schools and spending time with patients to educate them about their well-being, have raised awareness and improved trust in the healthcare system. This has resulted in more people seeking specialist care.
Moreover, Tshemba volunteers have been instrumental in improving access to critical healthcare for women.
According to Fiolet, their intervention has reduced the turnaround time for certain procedures, such as abnormal pap smear treatment, from three hospital visits to just one 30-minute visit.
They have also successfully encouraged more women to visit the hospital for female-specific healthcare services, such as pap smears, ultrasounds, and access to safe contraceptive methods.
Tshemba has hosted 274 volunteers from around the world. Tshemba welcomes long-term and short-term medical and allied health professionals, who can significantly impact the lives of people living in low-resource settings.
Visit www.tshembafoundation.org/volunteer-programme.
Read the latest issue of IOL Health digital magazine here.
