Thank You!

Dear Friend

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), founded in 1931, reached an extraordinary milestone, celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year.

This would not have been possible without your support!

As we conclude 2021 and our 90th birthday celebrations, it is with heartfelt appreciation that we thank you for giving of your time, talents, or funds to keep CANSA’s service sustainable.

Your support never waivers, and through uncertain, challenging times, we have come to appreciate your loyalty to CANSA, supporting our efforts to help those who have been affected by a cancer diagnosis.

We wish you every blessing over the Festive Season and in the New Year and look forward to the journey ahead with you in 2022. Our CANSA Care Centres close on Thursday, 23rd December 2021 and re-open on the Monday, 3rd of January 2022.

See www.cansa.org.za for urgent referrals during this period and view our 2022 Calendar to see how you can become involved with our activities in the New Year.
 
Elize Joubert
CANSA CEO

What You Have Helped CANSA Achieve

VIDEO: Conversations with CANSA – Celebrating 90 Years

CANSA Offering 2021:

CANSA provided vital services to the public during lockdowns with COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

CANSA offers research, health and advocacy programmes to help educate the public to reduce individual cancer risk and has revitalised the CANSA Seal of Recognition programme, to help the public make healthy, informed choices when purchasing products. CANSA has produced over 300 Fact Sheets to help educate about cancer and related information.

We offer cancer screening and employee wellness programmes (corporates) to enable early detection: Clinical Breast Examinations to detect breast cancer, Pap smears to detect cervical cancer, Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test to detect prostate cancer, Clinical Mole Analysis and FotoFinder Mole Analysis to detect skin cancer and Faecal Occult at home test kits to detect colorectal cancer. CANSA has performed over 430 000 screenings in the last 10 years.

CANSA’s stoma clinics offer support to patients with products, emotional support and advice, including a CANSA Tele Stoma service.

We provide medical loan equipment, as well as wigs and breast prostheses.

Our CANSA Care Homes cater for patients receiving cancer treatment offering accommodation, transport and meals. CANSA has accommodated more than 33 000 cancer patients at our Care Homes over the last 10 years.

CANSA’s TLC Lodges for children and families affected by cancer cater for parents of children receiving treatment far from home.

Given the fact that social contact was limited, CANSA optimised our online support offering during lockdowns:

We launched our CANSA Tele Counselling service – free, cancer specific counselling offered in 7 languages (English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, seSotho and Setswana). In addition to those who have received Tele Counselling, CANSA has individually counselled nearly 200 000 people over the last 10 years.

Introduced WhatsApp support groups. In addition to virtual / WhatsApp support groups, CANSA has facilitated face to face support groups for 90 000 cancer patients, and caregivers over the last 10 years.

Launched a CANSA Tele Stoma service to assist clients that are in remote communities.

We offer support through our Facebook Support Groups: CANSA Survivors – Champions of Hope; CANSA Caring for the Caregivers and CANSA TLC Childhood Cancer Support. Our Facebook Support Groups have been running for over 10 years and have a current total membership of 10 061 people.

We offer support through our CANSA Help Desk via emails, phone calls and WhatsApp in English, Afrikaans, isiXhosa, isiZulu, SeSotho and siSwati. CANSA assists an average of 900 – 1000 people through its Help Desk per month.

CANSA produced information and material for cancer patients and people living with underlying NCDs to protect themselves against COVID-19.

We enhanced our current iSurvivor programme and added a specific programme for metastatic breast cancer patients.

CANSA helped produce two booklets to help patients, loved ones and caregivers with pain management.

We launched our Lifestyle Risk Assessment Tool in a user-friendly online format, so that the public could assess individual cancer risk, and take measures to improve their health.

We also hosted several online webinars across social media platforms to raise awareness of how to reduce cancer risk and also to offer care and support. Over the past year CANSA has hosted or partnered in 42 webinars.

Messages of Appreciation

#TogetherWeGive

Please continue to support CANSA so that we can provide more care and support to cancer patients, caregivers and loved ones. We cannot do so without you!