International Blantyre Cancer Centre

Hospital in Malawi

Not to be confused with Malawi National Cancer Center.

Hospital in Southern Region, Malawi

International Blantyre Cancer Centre

The Thomson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation

Geography
Location| Nyambadwe, Blantyre, Southern Region, Malawi
Coordinates| 15°46′02″S 35°01′28″E﻿ / ﻿15.76722°S 35.02444°E﻿ / -15.76722; 35.02444
Organisation
Care system| Private
Type| Cancer Treatment, Research and Teaching
Services
Beds| 60
History
Opened| March 5, 2024; 1 day ago (2024-03-05)
Links
Website| `{{URL|example.com|optional display text}}`
Other links| List of hospitals in Malawi

The International Blantyre Cancer Centre (IBCC) is a private, specialized, tertiary care medical facility owned by the Thomson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation. As of December 2023, the facility is under construction, with operationalization originally scheduled for January 2024. It is the first and only free-standing cancer treatment and research centre in Malawi's Southern Region.[1][2]

## Location[edit]

The facility is located in the neighborhood known as Nyambadwe, in the city of Blantyre, in the  Southern Region of Malawi.[3]

## Overview[edit]

IBCC is a cancer treatment, research, and teaching center, owned and operated by the Thomson and Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation. The facility offers 60 inpatient beds. On offer are screening and diagnostic services on an outpatient basis. Inpatient services include both chemotherapy and radiotherapy services.[3]

The cancer centre was established by business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira, in memory of his late wife, Barbara Mpingajira, who died of cancer in a South African hospital in January 2019.[4][5]

Thomson Mpinganjira is a wealthy Malawian, who is credited with the founding of FDH Bank, a Malawian commercial bank among other financial investments. He told reporters that the medical equipment in IBCC were sourced from Belgium.[6]

In March 2024, the "Malawi Voice" reported that the cancer center is owned jointly 50/50 by the "Thomson & Barbara Mpinganjira Foundation" and the Roman Catholic charity organization called "Organismo Mundial de Cursillos de Cristiandad" (OMCC), based in Belgium and Luxemburg.[2]

## Facilities and cost[edit]

The centre is equipped with modern cancer screening and diagnostic equipment. It also offers chemotherapy and radiation services to both inpatients and outpatients on a daily basis. The cost of construction and equipment acquisition is calculated at about €10 million.[7]

## Timeline[edit]

Construction started in 2019.[4] Commercial commissioning was expected in 2024.[1][7] The cancer center was officially opened on 5 March 2024 by Lazarus Chakwera, the president of Malawi.[2][8]

## See also[edit]

* List of hospitals in Malawi
* Malawi National Cancer Center

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b TNMO (8 December 2023). "Modern Blantyre cancer centre opens January". The Nation Malawi Online (TNMO). Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
2. ^ a b c Malawi Voice (6 March 2024). "Business Mogul Mpinganjira builds Cancer Hospital in Honour of late Wife". Malawi Voice. Limbe, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
3. ^ a b Elita Nkalo (7 December 2023). "Hope Rises for Cancer Patients with New Blantyre Centre". The AfricaBrief. Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
4. ^ a b Kenton Kamoto (5 January 2019). "Thousands Mourn Barbara Mpinganjira Wife To FDH Bank Boss: Nankhumwa Delivers APM Condolences". Nyasa Times. Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
5. ^ Malawi24 (5 November 2023). "Mpinganjira constructing multi-billion kwacha cancer centre". Malawi24. Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
6. ^ Andrew Mtupanyama (6 November 2023). "Mpinganjira's cancer centre to open soon". The Nation (Malawi). Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
7. ^ a b Archangel Nzangaya (7 December 2023). "International Blantyre Cancer Centre to start operations next month".  Malawi24. Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
8. ^ Nyasa Times (5 March 2024). "Chakwera Hails Thom Mpinganjira For The Construction of The Cancer Centre". Nyasa Times. Blantyre, Malawi. Retrieved 6 March 2024.

## External links[edit]

* One of Malawi’s richest men, Thom Mpinganjira unveils multimillion-dollar cancer center