Towards changing the narrative about cervical cancer in Nigeria, which is the second leading cause of cancer mortality among female and third most common cancer in the country, the Chess Project, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, (NIMR); APin Public Health Initiatives; University College Hospital, Ibadan and Emory University, USA, have presented state-of –the –art equipment to fifteen health facilities across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The presentation of the medical equipment, which took place at the closing ceremony of a 5-Day-training on cervical cancer prevention for mentored mothers, nurses and health workers, was jointly organised by the 5 institutions, and held at the NIMR Main Auditorium on Thursday.
Cervical cancer is a deadly but preventable disease that claims the lives of 8,000 Nigerian women with 12,000 necnaw cases detected annually. While girls of ages 9 to 14, who are not sexually active can be protected against the Humanpapilloma virus (HPV) with HPV vaccines, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends regular screening for women for early detection.
Director General, NIMR, Professor Babatunde Lawal Salako, emphasised the essence of the training and the state-of-the-art equipment presented to the hospitals in reducing the burden of disease, which has been causing heart breaking deaths among women and their families, noting that it shows their commitment to reducing the prevalence of the disease in the country.
He noted the capacity of 50 health workers including 17 mentored mothers, 17 nurses and 16 doctors, have been upgraded during the training period, as he commended the commitment and enthusiasm displayed by each participant reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer in their communities.
Prof. Salako said, “This training programme is a component of the Chess Project, aimed at increasing cervical cancer control among HIV/Positive women in Nigeria, jointly implemented by esteemed institutions of NIMR, APin Public Health Initiative, University of Ibadan, and Emory University, USA. This initiative represent significant step in the fight against cervical cancer in our country’.
He continued “Through the past five days, a total of 50 dedicated health workers, including 17 mentored mothers, 17 nurses and 16 doctors, have undergone intensive training to enhance their skill and knowledge in cervical cancer prevention and treatment. Commitment and enthusiasm displayed by each participant during this programme are truly commendable and we are confident that the knowledge gained by each participant will serve the purpose.
“As we reflect on the epidemiology of cervical cancer in our country, it is evident that this disease continue to pose a great threat to the health of our women. The burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria has been leading to heart breaking number of deaths. However, initiative like chess gives us hope and provide the pathway towards reducing this burden”.
While ten facilities received the medical gadgets at the programme, the NIMR DG said the remaining 5 hospitals will be presented with the equipment in few days’ time, by the University of Ibadan, and APin Public Health Initiative respectively.
In an exclusive interview with Pharmanewsonline, the representative of the Emory Universality USA, at the programme, Dr Lisa Flowers, expressed her delight to work with the Nigeria team in saving the lives of millions of Nigerian women who are at risk of cervical cancer, with the advanced skill and gadget, better than the existing Pap smear test for cervical cancer.
Flowers, who is a professor at the Emory University, listed the medical equipment handed over to the facilities as follows: Videocolposcope, Thermocoagulator kits, Loop electrosurgical excision procedure machine, and Evalyn brushes for self-sample collection, stating that they will assist the practitioners to actually see the abnormal cells of the cervix and make decisions right on the spot, whether or not the women need treatment or not. She said these gadgets were not available in the past, but advancement in technology has made it possible to improve the procedure of detecting HPV in women.
Explaining the difference between Pap smear test and the newly introduced HPV test, she said, “The state-of- the arts equipment will afford the opportunity of doing primary HPV testing, which we know that HPV test is the most sensitive test to actually identify in individuals who may have abnormal cells in the cervix. What people need to understand is that the Pap smear test has done its job for many years but it is now not a perfect test. It needs to be repeated too many times and you need a lot of very well-trained pathologists and cytotechnologists in high numbers. It is not the best way to screen and prevent cervical cancer but primary HPV testing is.
“And what’s great about it is that if the the woman is negative, she is negative. We know that there’s a period of time that we don’t have to worry about that woman. So it gives us assurance that the woman is safe. If it’s positive then we know we need to go and look either with visual inspection or with microscopy to see if we see those abnormal cells. So it’s just a fantastic test.
“And while people have to understand, it is actually in the pathway to cervical cancer. If somebody is positive with HPV, then she has a risk factor for getting cervical cancer. If she is negative, then she is unlikely at least for a time period to be at risk for cervical cancer. That is powerful, much more powerful than the Pap test”.
Prof. Oliver Ezechi, NIMR anchor of the programme, appreciated all the partners and participants at the programme, as he expressed optimism that the presentation of the equipment for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer among women, will go along in bolstering the HPV vaccination initiative of the Federal Government for young girls, in reducing the prevalence of cervical cancer among Nigerian female population. The ten hospitals that received the medical equipment at the programme are as follows:
Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital Kano; Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakiliki, Ebonyi state; Delta state University Teaching Hospital, Oghara; Federal University Of Health Sciences, Oturukpo, Benue State; Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba; Lagos state University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja; Island Maternity Home, Lagos; St Kizito Clinic, Ilasan, Lagos; Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra; and HIV Treatment Centre, NIMR, Lagos.
