Chief Mumena of the Kaonde-speaking people of Kalumbila District has been appointed patron for the Male Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF), a Zambian organisation founded in 2024 to address the lack of awareness regarding male breast cancer.

During their visit to the Mumena Royal Establishment in Kalumbila, organisation founder who is also a breast cancer survivor, Boaz Musamvu said the appointment follows the traditional leader’s commitment and active participation in community awareness on different societal issues.

“Most people because of stigma and lack of information, don’t come out. Since we founded the organisation, we have made efforts to contact men with breast cancer. We arranged with NHIMA at the cancer diseases hospital that each time they come across a male breast cancer patient, they should inform us, and to date we are now aware of eight other people that are suffering from the disease, but I can bet there are many others out there; information is what they lack,” he said.

And organisation chairperson Victor Kalala stressed that many people even in the medical fraternity were unaware of the disease and its warning signs, which results in unnecessary delays and avoidable premature death in a number of cases.

In accepting the appointment as organisation patron, Chief Mumena highlighted that communities were aware of other cancers but male breast cancer was a new thing and he mentioned that he was pleased to be part of the journey that will bring about change and save lives

Meanwhile Indo Zambia Bank representative Hendrix Kanema said the Bank was proud to sponsor the Male Breast Cancer Foundation because it recognised the importance of public health awareness in the social economic wellbeing of the country