President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed optimism that Malawi will have achieved its dreams of locally treating all cancer cases by 2030.
Chakwera expressed the sentiments when he officially launched International Blantyre Cancer Centre (IBCC) in Blantyre Tuesday.
The facility is a 50-50 joint venture between the Thomson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation and Luxembourg-headquartered OMCC Group.
The multi-billion Kwacha state-of-the-art cancer centre gives hope to thousands of Malawians who, for years, have had to travel abroad, especially India, to access advanced cancer treatment.
Officials say Malawi records at least 17,000 cancer cases every year.
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At least 12,000 of those succumb to one of the leading causes of deaths in the world.
In his speech, marking the official opening of the facility, Chakwera stressed that the fight against cancer can never be won if all responsibility is left in the hands of the government.
“Through the National Cancer Control Plan, the government is finalising the construction of the National Cancer Centre in Lilongwe to ensure all cancer patients can receive support right here in the country by 2030,” the President said.
He then commended philanthropist Thomson Mpinganjira for turning his personal tragedy, in the form of the loss of his wife to cancer in 2019, into a public triumph.
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“When I heard that the Thomson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation was constructing this facility, I ordered the Ministry of Health to provide full support so that the facility can start providing medical assistance to Malawians in the quickest time possible,” Chakwera said.
Mpinganjira, who is also chairperson for IBCC, said the facility would help Malawi save foreign exchange that is spent on foreign referrals for cancer patients.
“This facility is a game-changer in the fight against cancer. I decided to construct it following the experience I had when my wife was receiving treatment in South Africa. Based on my experience there, I decided that I could not allow any other Malawian to go through the same,” Mpinganjira said.
