Gov’t to acquire three more mammogram machines by year-end

The government will be procuring three additional mammogram machines before year-end, to expand the capacity for early detection of breast cancer.

The machines will be installed at various healthcare facilities across the country, as the administration continues to implement preventative steps to lower the incidence of cancer locally.

This was revealed by Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, during the launch of the national mental health website Thursday last, at the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC), Georgetown.

“By November of this year, we should get three more [Mammogram machines]. We will put one at Suddie [Region Two], one at Linden, and one at New Amsterdam. So, we will have more scope to be able to do that,” the health minister noted.

“So, again, teaching people how to do self-examination is a very important thing to find lumps and more than that, to do mammograms once you are 40 years old,” he added.

Cervical cancer, which is the second most prevalent cancer to breast cancer in women in Guyana, is caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Dr Anthony underlined that cervical cancer can be reduced to zero in 10 to 20 years if everyone eligible for the HPV vaccine takes it.

“If you take a vaccine, it prevents you from getting cervical cancer. This is something that we want people to know…Initially, it used to be for kids among 14 years old, but with the new protocols that have come out, it is much more extended. And so, we need people to understand that,” Dr Anthony pointed out.

Immunity is provided by the HPV vaccine, which is also a crucial cancer prevention tool since people will have strong, long-lasting immune protection against HPV.

Some 20 cryotherapy equipment were purchased by the ministry in January and will be dispersed nationwide to aid in the treatment and prevention of cervical cancer.