Though preventable, cervical cancer kills 22 women in Nigeria daily. This was the conclusion of medical experts brought together by National Institute of Medical Researchers (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, at the weekend.
The experts made the submission at the grand finale of the 2023 4Girls and Women (4GW) Bootcamp for cervical cancer prevention. The project was designed to curb spread of cervical cancer and boost vaccination against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in young girls aged nine to 29 and HPV screening for women between 30 and 65 years.
A co-principal investigator of the project and a professor of medicine from St Louis University, United Kingdom, Dr. Juliet Iwelunmor, said: “Twenty-two Nigerian women will die before the end of today of a preventable disease, which is the reason I have joined forces and resources with the rest of the stakeholders, in partnership with NIMR researchers, through the 4GW programme.”
Iwelunmor also recalled how the trauma of losing her sister-in-law to cervical cancer awakened her to prevalence of the ailment.
Director of Research, NIMR, Prof. Oliver Ezechi, said: “Why are our women dying of a disease that is 100 per cent preventable. We can eradicate cervical cancer. The 4GW project is an innovative one with diverse ideas from the predisposed community, to channel their ideas against cervical cancer.”
The gynaecologist said the best seven participants, who had been camped for a month, participated in rigorous training. According to him, “The project will run for six months, after which the best idea to cover the task will avail NIMR with the ultimate idea to facilitate reaching 60 local council areas across the country, where free services will be offered. The idea was first applied in HIV self-testing.”
A cervical cancer survivor and judge at the 4GW, Mrs. Franca Eze, who now runs a non-governmental organisation (My Body My Asset Cancer Foundation), said the trauma she encountered triggered her to inform other women about embracing early cervical cancer vaccination and treatment.
