The audio is in isiZulu. See the English summary below.

MABUTHO: Ngokwezibalo ze  Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) bangu 3 500 abantu besifazane bakuleli ababulawa isifo somdlavuza wesibeletho minyaka yonke. Kanti lomdlavuza iwona obulala abesifazane abaningi kuleli ukwedlula owebele. Ngokwalenhlangano iCANSA lezizibalo bezingehla uma ngabe abantu besifazane bakuleli bebengasukuma ngobuningi babo bayozihlolela lesisifo. UMartha Molete ukhulumela lenhlangano yabaphila nesifo somdlavuza kuleli, iCANSA. Uthi nakuba selikhona ikhambi lokuvikela loluhlobo lomdlavuza, nelibhaliswe ngesonto eledlule kuleli, kepha kusazomele abantu besifazane bakuleli baqhubeke nokuzihlolela umdlavuza. Uthi abantu besifazane abangu 3 500 babulawa umdlavuza wesibeletho minyaka yonke kuleli nathi kuyinto ebeingavikeleka ngokuthi abantu bazihlole kusenesikhathi.

MARTHA MOLETE: We’€¦still need an effective screening program for the next  50 or  60 years…  And currently less than 20% of all South African women have ever gone for (a) pap smear. ‘€¦That’€™s why over 3500 women die in South Africa every year in South Africa. But the sad thing is, had their cancer been detected early and treated they would have been saved.

MABUTHO: Isifo somdlavuza wesibeletho ngokujwayelekile sidalwa igciwane elibizwa nge ‘€œhuman papilloma virus’€. Leligciwane litholakala ngokulalana ngokucansi kanye nangokuthintana. Ngokwenhlagano yabantu abaphila nomdlavuza eMelika, iAmerican Cancer Society ukubhema ugwayi kanye negciwane le HIV nakho kungaba nomthelela ekudaleni leligciwane. UMolete uthi kubalulekile ukuthi abesilisa nabo babe ingxenye yokulwisana nomdlavuza wesibeletho. Uthi lokhu bangakwenza ngokuthi bakhulume nabathandana nabo, osisi babo, kanye nomama babo ukuba bahambe baye kozihlolela lesisifo. Uthi okuhle ukuthi umnyango wezempilo kuleli unohlelo onalo lokuhlola abesifazane abangaphezulu kweminyaka engu 30 kuya phezulu mahhala.

MARTHA MOLETE: It’€™s very important for men out there to support their wives and partners, sisters and mothers to go for a screening or pap smear every three years if they can afford it. But if they can’€™t the department of health also offers free cervical screening from the age of 30. Three free screenings every ten years. So it’€™s very important that women access this service as well.

MABUTHO: UDr Nevin Singh uyi Medical Director kwinkampani iGlaxo-Smith-Kline esanda kumemezela ukubhaliswa ngokusemthethweni kwekhambi layo kuleli. Lelikhambi elibizwa ngokuthi yicervarix’€¦ lisetshenziswa ukuvikela umdlavuza wesibeletho. Ngokunjalo uSingh uhamba emazwini ka Molete ukuthi nalabo besifazane abasebenzisa lelikhambi lokuvikela isifo somdlavuza wesibeletho kubalulekile ukuthi nomakanjani baqhubeke nokuyozihlola.

DR NEVIN SINGH: The vaccine is a primary preventive measure to help protect individuals, (but) one has to bear in mind that being a primary protection measure, it is not a substitute for regular screening measures. In fact, we encourage regular screening as well as vaccination.

MABUTHO: UMolete uthi labo abaphila negciwane le HIV basengcupheni enkulu yokuthola leligciwane elidala umdlavuza wesibeletho. Uthi kungalesosizathu kubalulekile ukuthi nabo basukume bahambe baye kozihlolela loluhlobo lomdlavuza kusesenesikhathi ukuze bezothola ukusizakala.

MARTHA MOLETE: Research shows that if you are HIV-positive or you have full blown AIDS, you are much more likely to develop cervical cancer if you have been infected with the human papilloma virus. So, this is really important in terms of education and awareness so that people who are HIV-positive also are careful of both their health and go for pap smears and ensure that if they are infected that they are looked after.

MABUTHO: Nakuba ukuhlolela umdlavuza kungavimbeli igciwane elidala umdlavuza wesibeletho kepha kuyasiza ekuthenini lesisifo sisheshe sitholakale kusenesikhathi. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ochwepheshe kwezempilo bathi uma lomdlavuza utholakale kusenesikhathi uyakwazi ukunqandeka kungafani noma utholakale emva kwesikhathi esinde.

See the English summary below.

Call for women to do pap smear test

Statistics show that cervical cancer kills more women than any other form of cancer in South Africa. Yet fewer women go for a regular pap smear test to check for the development of the cancer.

At least 3500 South African women die of cervical cancer every year. This is according to statistics by the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA). These numbers can be reduced if more women can start going for regular pap smear tests, says Martha Molete, CANSA spokesperson. Pharmaceutical company, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, recently announced the registration of its new cervical cancer vaccine by the Medicines Control Council (MCC). But Molete says even though there is now a preventative vaccine, women would still need to go for a pap smear test.

‘€œWe’€¦still need an effective screening program for the next 50 or 60 years…  And currently less than 20% of all South African women have ever gone for (a) pap smear. ‘€¦That’€™s why over 3500 women die every year in South Africa. But the sad thing is, had their cancer been detected early and treated they would have been saved’€, she said.

Dr Nevin Singh, Medical Director of Glaxo-Smith-Kline, concurs with Molete. ‘€œThe vaccine is not a substitute for regular screening measures. In fact, we encourage regular screening as well as vaccination’€, he said.

Cervical cancer is caused by what experts call a ‘€œhuman papilloma virus’€, which is passed through sex and touching. It is also believed that smoking and HIV can also cause cervical cancer. Molete says men also need to be involved in the fight against cervical cancer.

‘€œIt’€™s very important for men out there to support their wives and partners, sisters and mothers to go for a screening or pap smear every three years if they can afford it. But if they can’€™t, the Department of Health also offers free cervical screening from the age of 30 – three free screenings every 10 years. So it’€™s very important that women access this service as well,’€ said Molete.

She also warned that those living with HIV are at a high risk of being infected with the human papilloma virus because of their weak immune systems and urged them to be ‘€œcareful of their health and to go for pap smears so as to ensure that if they are infected they are looked after’€.

Although regular pap smear tests do not prevent cervical cancer, experts say they are the most effective way of detecting cervical abnormalities which could be early signs of cervical cancer.