HARARE, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's largest referral hospital has once again partnered China's Hunan Provincial Maternal Hospital in offering free cervical cancer screening and treatment to at least 1, 700 Zimbabwean women in 2019.

Zimbabwean and Chinese officials on Tuesday gathered at the Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare for the launch and donation of equipment for the cervical cancer detection and treatment center.

Under the treatment camp, which is running for the third consecutive year at the hospital, women aged between 30 and 65 from throughout Zimbabwe will receive high-tech free cancer screening and treatment.

Over the past two years, over a thousand women in the country have benefited from the healthcare service project as the country scales up the fight against one of the leading women cancers in Zimbabwe.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Zimbabwean First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa who was on Monday appointed the country's ambassador for Health and Child Care, urged women to take advantage of the screening and treatment camp to come and receive cervical cancer health care services.

She also lauded China for its support to Zimbabwe in fighting the scourge, which she noted continues to be a serious public health problem globally.

"I commend the gesture made by China through Hunan Provincial Maternal Hospital for this continuous partnership with Parirenyatwa Hospital in this noble cause. This is consistent with our national cervical cancer screening, treatment and prevention program," she said.

She observed that efforts by countries in the developing world to offer modern medicines for cervical cancer were being hampered by lack of funds.

"It is in light of this that we value your partnership to take us along with the rest of the developing world in the fight against cervical cancer," she said.

Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe Guo Shaochun said China's support to Zimbabwe's health sector continued to grow with the cervical cancer screening and treatment camp being another example of the expanding cooperation.

He said the equipment will make Zimbabwe one of the only four countries in Africa that are able to carry out HPV tests.

Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital vice dean Liang Songyue said through the project, China had made significant contribution to women's health in Zimbabwe and made great achievements with the completion of three free clinics and two academic exchanges.