In a move to address late-stage cancer detection, Rio Tinto, PinkDrive and the National Department of Health are embarking on a drive to bring mobile cancer screenings and primary healthcare services to communities in need. Scheduled to start late July and throughout August 2025, this initiative will expand to KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, and the Northern Cape following a successful outreach in 2024.
With 65% of all natural causes of death attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) (according to the National Cancer Registry), this initiative aligns with South Africa’s national health goals to reduce the burden of NCDs through early detection, prevention, and improved access to care, while also addressing social factors that impact health.
Placing the health-screening crisis in the Eastern Cape top of mind, the provincial leg of the outreach will take place from 11 to 15 August 2025. During this time, the mobile clinics will visit Motherwell CHC on 11 August, Chetty Clinic on 12 August, West End Clinic on 13 August, Gqeberha Clinic on 14 August, and Zwide Clinic on 15 August – ensuring that lifesaving services are brought directly to the communities that need them most.
RTIT Africa Operations & RBM Managing Director, Werner Duvenhage, said: “We are proud to once again collaborate with PinkDrive to bring these services closer to those who need them most. Through this collaboration, we can extend our reach and make a meaningful impact even in areas where we are not physically present. It is an extension of our core values of CARE.” Last year, the outreach successfully reached 7,695 people over a two-week period, and the goal for this year is to screen over 12,000 individuals and provide health education to many more. CEO and Founder of PinkDrive, Noelene Kotschan, said:
“Far too many South Africans are diagnosed late because they simply don’t have access to screening facilities. Our model of mobile healthcare has proven both innovative and effective in bridging this gap.”
The mobile clinics will provide essential services such as mammograms, pap smears, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests, clinical breast examinations, skin and lung cancer screenings as well as general health screenings. Qualified doctors, nurses, radiographers, and health educators will provide these services free of charge, with referrals to public health facilities arranged where necessary.
This important initiative is funded by the Rio Tinto Social Investment Fund, which invests in projects that create lasting socio-economic benefits within the group’s operational markets. It complements existing local social programmes and extends support to address key national socio-economic needs.
