FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES 
DECEMBER 06, 2021

FQM PARTNERS WITH HEALTH EXPERTS, LOCAL COMMUNITIES TO DEMYSTIFY PROSTATE CANCER

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LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – First Quantum Minerals (FQM) concluded its November cancer community awareness month with a flurry of events ranging from a Prostate Cancer Awareness dinner and a variety of sporting activities at Solwezi Technical Secondary School.

The events – held in partnership with Kansanshi Mine hospital, Trident Town Clinic, and Mary Begg Community Clinic – were created to promote awareness among FQM employees and other stakeholders on the prevalence, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer.  

Speaking during the Prostate Cancer Awareness Games in Solwezi, First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Mine General Manager Anthony Mukutuma said the mine was inspired to hold the awareness events because it believed easier access to information on non-communicable diseases would go a long way in helping at-risk groups take necessary preventative measures and seek early medical attention to maximise the efficacy of the available treatment. 

He said: “What we are doing through these events is getting men in a place where we can have medical experts talk to them about health while they engage in some of their favourite pastimes – sport and the comradery of spending time with other men over food and drinks.” 

“Our workforce of about 9,000 employees while diverse, remains mainly comprised of men. The people in attendance at these events may be a small proportion of our entire workforce but the goal is to have those that showed up and participated in the events become ambassadors of prostate cancer awareness and go into the workplace and community and spread the message,” he said. 

“As the saying goes, ‘prevention is better than cure.’ As such, our involvement at this stage allows us to focus on proactively putting in place strategies to help lower the disease’s prevalence and reduce the mortality rate as opposed to taking a reactionary approach of trying to cure the affliction after it has already taken hold and reached an advanced stage,” added Mr Mukutuma. 

“This exercise is therefore worth much more than flying a patient out for treatment because they would not have had the disease in the first place.” 

The prostate is a small walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid which transports and nourishes sperm. Prostate cancer is globally the leading cause of cancer deaths in men. 

Being a relatively slow growing cancer, prostate cancer in its early stage is generally asymptomatic before eventually exhibiting more pronounced symptoms including weak urine flow, blood in semen, difficulty in passing urine, erectile dysfunction, and bone pain (hips, spine, or ribs) in its latter stages.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), some of the disease’s risk factors include diet, obesity, race, family history, and age, with men over 40 carrying a higher risk of developing the disease. 
According to a 2020 paper published by the African Journal of Urology, Zambia has one of the world’s highest estimated mortality rates from prostate cancer with age-standardised incidence and mortality rates at 45.6 and 28.4 per 100,000 men, respectively.

Speaking on the side-lines of the FQM-sponsored prostate cancer awareness dinner at Kansanshi Hotel, First Quantum Minerals Public Health Superintendent Dr Mumba Kahilu noted that having a workforce of more than 9,000 people, most of whom are men, FQM’s Kansanshi Mine had a responsibility to ensure it effectively tackled ailments that uniquely affected its largest demographic – men. 

He said: “A healthy workforce is a productive workforce. As a production-oriented business, the health of our staff is one of our biggest priorities. By preventing or dealing with prostate cancer at its early stage, we will not only help maintain a healthy community, but also avoid losing countless man hours to illness.” 

“We are currently running several initiatives aimed at promoting good health among our people and the community at large. Apart from non-communicable diseases, FQM also runs Malaria prevention and HIV prevention programmes in the workplace and the community. We also have a water and sanitation project where our officers go in the community, map out water access points to identify contaminated sources and treat them so that people can have access to clean drinking water.”  

Meanwhile, Solwezi General Hospital Urologist Dr Brown Kandonga said that there was need for more investment in promoting awareness of risk factors and recommended preventative measures for common diseases like prostate cancer in local communities, saying that the lack of information was preventing affected people from seeking medical attention until it was too late. 

He called on more corporate entities to come on board and invest in urology equipment which would help health facilities detect and identify illnesses like cancer earlier for more effective treatment. 
First Quantum Minerals has spent over US$100 million on sustainability and community development programmes by aligning the Kansanshi and Trident foundations’ programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Using its six health pillars, the mining firm is focusing on the workplace and the community with HIV/AIDS, malaria, water hygiene and sanitation, non-communicable health diseases, Health systems strengthening and girl/child empowerment initiatives.

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About First Quantum Minerals Ltd
First Quantum Minerals Ltd is a global metals and mining company producing mainly copper, gold and zinc. The company’s assets are in Zambia, Spain, Mauritania, Australia, Finland, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Peru.
In 2020, First Quantum globally produced 779,000 tonnes of copper, 265,000 ounces of gold and 13,000 tonnes of nickel.
In Zambia it operates the Kansanshi mine – the largest copper mine in Africa by production – and smelter and the Sentinel mine in Kalumbila.
The company is listed on the Lusaka and Toronto stock exchanges.
http://www.first-quantum.com

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