Akure, 28 October, 2022 – When Mrs Olawale Damilola, a 40 years outdated lecturer, heard that the well being facility in her locality was providing screening to detect early indicators of cervical most cancers, her thoughts flashed to tales of ladies whom she had heard died of the illness. 

She instantly booked for  screening on the well being facility, one of many ten Major Well being Care (PHC)  centres providing cervical most cancers secondary prevention program companies in Ondo State, South-west Nigeria. 

“I had gone to the Complete Well being Centre at Ilara- Mokin, Ondo State, for a household planning service when the nurse knowledgeable me in regards to the screening and instantly knew I needed to verify my standing. I seized the chance as a result of I had all the time needed to verify my standing, however the worth for a pap smear is excessive as N25 000. 

As soon as she was mendacity on the examination mattress within the screening room, the nurse defined the straightforward course of – Visible Inspection with acetic acid (VIA) – which concerned making use of dilute acetic acid – a element of abnormal vinegar – to the cervix and noticed by the well being employee with bare eyes. 

The well being care supplier then appears to be like for abnormalities on the cervix, which can flip white when uncovered to vinegar. 

Earlier than the screening, the nurse counselled her about cervical most cancers saying it was preventable if detected early. 

“Although my consequence was destructive, I began elevating consciousness in regards to the screening in my group as a result of I overheard the well being staff complaining of a low turnout of ladies”. To this point, 5 ladies from my workplace have offered themselves for screening, she mentioned.

A worldwide technique 

most cancers is the fourth commonest most cancers amongst ladies globally, with an estimated 604 000 new cases and 342 000 deaths in 2020.

In 2020, the World Well being Meeting adopted the Global Strategy for cervical cancer elimination. Reaching that objective rests on three key pillars and their corresponding targets: 

• Vaccination: 90% of women are absolutely vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; 
• Screening: 70% of ladies screened utilizing a high-performance take a look at by the age of 35, and once more by the age of 45; 
• Therapy: 90% of ladies with pre-cancer handled and 90% of ladies with invasive most cancers managed.

To realize the objective, the World Well being Group (WHO), with funding from Susan Thompson Buffet Basis, is offering catalytic help to Ondo, Kebbi, Niger, Ekiti and Ondo states for cervical most cancers screening and therapy. The goal is to display at the least 5 000 ladies within the first section of the programme. 

The illness is preventable via common screening with both VIA, Pap smear and human papillomavirus (HPV) assessments to search out any pre-cancers and deal with them. The illness can also be vaccine-preventable. 

In Ondo state, the state authorities in collaboration with WHO and Clinton Well being Entry Initiative (CHAI) have been elevating consciousness on most cancers among the many populace by implementing a cervical most cancers secondary prevention programme to extend most cancers prevention, screening, therapy and the necessity to help most cancers sufferers.

The screening service is being applied in 10 PHC centres in Ondo state. It began on 22 July and as of 30 September, 2 239 ladies have been screened for cervical most cancers, and 9% have been positioned on therapy. 

Excessive turnout 

 Mrs Ilemobayo Wuraola,  a well being employee at Arakale well being centre, one of many PHCs the place the service is obtainable mentioned the centre has been recording a excessive turnout of ladies as a result of consciousness campaigns by the well being staff. 

“In September, we screened 182 ladies utilizing the VIA process, and 36 had suspected cervical most cancers circumstances and have been referred to the College of Medical Sciences Instructing Hospital (UNIMEDTH) Akure for additional consultations. 

All the method is free. I often make the most of the household planning programme and ante-natal and post-natal days to lift consciousness about cervical most cancers screening” she mentioned.

Path to  elimination

In the meantime, the Ondo State Commissioner for Well being, Dr Banji Ajaka mentioned, “the cervical most cancers marketing campaign is a deliberate effort to make sure that our folks (particularly the susceptible ladies and women) know in regards to the illness, are screened and people optimistic are handled.  

The figures recorded prior to now three months are encouraging. We’re optimistic that the state would supersede the 5,000 ladies focused for cervical most cancers screening inside six months ( July to December),  he mentioned.

Emphasizing the significance of the intervention,  Dr Kelias Msyamboza of WHO, famous that the intervention is essential to lowering the burden of cervical most cancers within the nation. 

Nigeria information an estimated 12, 075 cervical cancer cases and 7,968 deaths annually. 

WHO has supported the Ondo state authorities with gear and provides, instruments for monitoring and analysis and  coaching of 100 well being care staff for the implementation of the programme. The skilled well being staff embrace eight  LGA Well being educators and 92 group mobilisers skilled on demand creation for cervical most cancers screening, he mentioned. 

To boost consciousness in regards to the programme, WHO is supporting the airing radio jungles on cervical most cancers screening in media homes throughout  the state. WHO additionally offers technical help for information validation in addition to  supervisory help to the state to watch and consider the screening actions throughout the ten healthcare amenities.  

Technical Contact:


Dr Kelias Msyamboza; msyambozak [at] who.int