Precision Air supports breast cancer screening in Mtwara and Lindi

Precision Air Commercial Director Mr. Patrick Ndekana (left) speaks to journalists (not in picture) in Dar es Salaam yesterday about his company’s support of 9m/- towards a four-days breast cancer awareness and screening campaign that kicks off in Mtwara and Lindi on Wednesday. Looking on is the Aga Khan Health Service’s Head of Nursing Services, Loveluck Mwasha. (Photo by our correspondent)

Aga Khan Health Service (AKHST’s) Head of Nursing Services, Loveluck Mwasha (right) speaks to journalists (not in picture) in Dar es Salaam yesterday about a four-days breast cancer awareness and screening campaign that kicks off in Mtwara and Lindi on Wednesday, which has received a support of 9m/- from Precision Air Services PLC. Looking on is the Precision Air Commercial Director Mr. Patrick Ndekana. (Photo by our correspondent)

By Correspondent 

Precision Air supports breast cancer screening in Mtwara and Lindi By Correspondent Precision Air (PW) has donated 9m/- geared towards supporting the breast cancer awareness and screening campaign that kicks off in Mtwara and Lindi on Wednesday.

 The four-day event that that will run under the theme “Check it, Beat it” is spearheaded by the Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST) and seeks to reach more women, especially those living in areas without sufficient access to health services. 

Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Precision Air Commercial Director Patrick Ndekana said the donation is part of the Airline’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programme (CSR) that aims to promoting screening to reduce the need for major surgery or death cases faced by many Tanzanians. 

Ndekana said Precision Air understands the importance of heath in national development that is why it chose to support the campaign.

 “Our mission is to beat breast cancer by funding such projects that targets our remote communities who do not have access to proper health services nor the financial support to have major surgeries.

 We believe our support will go a long way in saving people’s lives because early detection saves lives.

 “Having our Airline presence in Mtwara, we are aware that the revenue we derive is from a healthy community. 

The airline will only do business if we have less number of people with ill-health. It is only a healthy people who form a healthy nation that brings forth a stable and ever growing economy. 

“Precision air will only continue growing in terms of increasing the number of its fleets and open more routes to serve more customers in this region. We can only achieve that when we have a strong and stable economy in countries we operate,” said Mr Ndekana. 

On her part, representative from Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania (AKHST) Ms Loveluck Mwasha, Head of Nursing Services, mentioned that the campaign which will be carried in Mtwara and Lindi Regions is targeting a population of 4 million people while at least 500 women are expected to be screened between the two towns.

 The campaign is targeting women, young and old in these two towns - for the Breast Cancer Screening - but will also see men being screened for the same. Ms Mwasha said that an initial site visit to Mtwara and Lindi was made by the Breast Cancer Campaign Team, including the AKHST Medical Director, Dr. Jaffer Dharsee, and Mr. Sisawo Konteh, Head of Outreach Services, of the Aga Khan Health Service, Tanzania, during which they met with the Regional Medical teams in both towns and agreed on the camp models.

 Every year, thousands of Tanzanian women are diagnosed with breast cancer. It is a major life altering event for women who are diagnosed, but for some the diagnosis comes much too late. 

Globally, breast cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in women. Early detection of the disease through breast cancer awareness and screening campaigns is vital to reducing the devastating prevalence of this disease amongst women in East Africa.

 Today, Precision Air calls for all citizens in Mtwara to “Check it, Beat it!”