Cape Town targets breast cancer

South African breast cancer community carer Pink Drive has opened its first permanent education centre on Belgravia Road in the Athlone district of Cape Town.

The Pink Drive education and walk-in centre provides women with information on breast cancer as well as offering men information on prostate and testicular cancer.

The health organisation's policy is centred around early detection of cancer and it currently operates two mobile breast cancer units and three educational cars. These units provide disadvantaged communities with access to education and physical examinations, and travel around semi-urban and urban areas across South Africa.

Since it was launched three years ago, PinkDrive has conducted over 4,700 free mammograms, carried out over 46,000 clinical breast examinations and educated almost 60,000 women on breast health.

The organisation has cleared the backlog of mammograms at Cape Town's Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals and is currently reducing a six-month mammography backlog at Chris Hani Baragwanath hospital in Johannesburg. Pink Drive works in partnership with local and national state health departments and relies mainly on corporate and private sponsorship.

Pink Drive, 39 Belgravia Road, Athlone, tel. 0216975650, www.pinkdrive.co.za.