"Cancer is seen as a disease which is predominantly among women, and the worst aspect of this misconception leads to men discovering that they have cancer in the late stages because they had ignored all early symptoms."
The MEC for Health in Limpopo, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, was speaking to hundreds of people during a cancer-awareness campaign that was held at Kone Village Boutique Lodge in Ha-Ramahantsha village two weekends ago.
The event was organised and hosted by Kone Village Boutique Lodge to promote awareness about the sickness among residents within the Sinthumule and Kutama area.
"We even grew up knowing that breast cancer could only be found in women, which was totally wrong," Ramathuba said. "So, today, we came here to encourage you to keep checking your bodies for any early-stage symptoms to ensure that any cancer is detected early and not at a later stage."
She urged all people, female and male, to start adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes a healthy eating by avoiding junk food and processed meat. "Buy live chickens and slaughter them yourself," she said. "You all go for chicken mixed portions where you get a thigh which is bigger than your own thigh as a human being – what do you think made that chicken thigh that big?"
Ramathuba explained that the department and all its health facilities were always open to help people who would visit them. "Most people only think of us – the department – when they get sick," she said. "You are allowed to go to your clinics and health centres to seek information on any health matters. You don't have to wait until you are sick or bedridden and then think of visiting the clinics."
She concluded by saying that a misconception existed that the Department of Health was a "department of diseases", which was not true, because all information and knowledge on how to lead a healthy lifestyle was readily available at health centres.
The South African Air Force's chief, Lt-Gen Fabian Zimpande Msimang, said that the department had always encouraged their members to lead a healthy lifestyle.