BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
PHOCWENI – Eswatini is training 11 health professionals in specialised cancer fields as Government prepares for the planned establishment of a radiotherapy facility at Manzini Government Hospital.
The development was announced by Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula during the launch of the 2026 International Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Phocweni Army Barracks on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Matsebula said the 11 professionals included three medical officers pursuing Clinical Oncology, four nurses specialising in Oncology Nursing, two professionals training in Medical Physics and two radiographers undergoing training as Radiotherapy Technicians.
“These specialists will form the backbone of our upcoming radiotherapy facility at Manzini Government Hospital,” Matsebula said.
He said Government was investing in specialised skills to ensure that the planned facility would be supported by health professionals with the technical expertise required to provide cancer treatment.
“This is part of strengthening our specialist capacity as we prepare for the radiotherapy facility,” Matsebula said.
Alongside the specialist training, Government is collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) to train 40 clinicians as Master Trainers under the Global Breast Cancer Initiative.
Matsebula said the 40-clinician programme was focused on strengthening the wider health workforce, particularly in health promotion, early detection, timely diagnosis and comprehensive breast cancer management.
“This initiative is aimed at building capacity among our clinicians so that we can improve early detection, diagnosis and management of breast cancer,” he said.
One of the Global Breast Cancer Initiative’s targets is for at least 60 per cent of breast cancers to be diagnosed and treated at early stages.
Matsebula said the two training programmes addressed different but connected needs in the country’s cancer response, with the 11 specialists being prepared for advanced cancer services and the 40 Master Trainers expected to strengthen capacity across the health system.
The announcement comes as the Ministry launches the “Mission 365: Screen, Protect, Prevail and Defend” campaign, which promotes breast cancer screening and early action throughout the year.
Matsebula said early detection remained critical to improving cancer outcomes and ensuring patients were linked to treatment as soon as possible.
“We want to make sure that screening is not something that only happens during October, but becomes part of our health-seeking behaviour throughout the year,” he said.
The planned radiotherapy facility at Manzini Government Hospital is expected to expand Eswatini’s capacity to provide specialised cancer treatment.
Matsebula said preparing the necessary human resources alongside infrastructure was essential to ensuring that the investment translated into improved services for patients.
“The infrastructure must be accompanied by the right skills and expertise,” he said.
The specialist training and WHO-supported Master Trainer programme therefore form part of a broader effort to strengthen Eswatini’s cancer response, from early detection and diagnosis to specialised treatment.
