Rio Tinto (RTIT) together with Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has joined forces with PinkDrive, a health-sector NGO, to launch a campaign aimed at bringing essential health screening to under-resourced communities in celebration of Mandela Month.
The two-week campaign focused on early cancer detection, health screening and education, began in the King Cetshwayo District in KwaZulu Natal on Monday, 1 July, 2024 and was in the OR Tambo Health District in the Eastern Cape on Monday, 8 July, 2024.
The campaign will deploy a fully equipped and staffed mobile clinic to provide free community health screenings including mammograms, pap smears, clinical breast examinations, PSA testing for prostate cancer, lung screenings, skin-cancer screenings, and primary healthcare services related to glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
Werner Duvenhage, managing director of RBM and RTIT, African Operation said, “partnerships like these exemplify our commitment to creating shared value and contributing towards social change.
“This initiative came out of our desire to do more for the communities in the countries where we operate. Our efforts to bring these health services closer to those in need will undoubtedly make a profound impact. We are proud to have partnered with PinkDrive and to have launched this campaign during Mandela Month.”
Mobile cancer-screening innovations
PinkDrive’s mobile cancer-screening units contain state-of-the-art equipment managed by specialised medical personnel. With funding from Corporate South Africa and working closely with the Department of Health, more people in more areas can be reached and ultimately begin to close the cancer gap in South Africa.
Noelene Kotschan, chief executive officer and founder of PinkDrive said, “PinkDrive was founded on the premise that early detection of cancer can prolong lives.
In provinces such as KwaZulu Natal and the Eastern Cape, rural and peri-urban residents struggle to access healthcare. Partnering with Rio Tinto, an organisation that prioritises the investment of resources into communities in need enables us to reach these communities.”
Through a close collaboration with the District Health Departments, diagnosed patients were referred to local clinics for treatment.
The campaign included an educational component aimed at providing guidance on basic preventive measures individuals can take.
All services provided by PinkDrive comply with the standards set by the national and provincial health departments.
