Expected HPV vaccine will boost fight against cervical cancer — Anambra first lady

January 8, 2024

Anambra State Governor’s wife, Mrs Nonye Soludo, says she is hopeful that the expected delivery of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to the state will bring to an end the era of the dangerous disease.

Mrs Soludo stated this over the weekend in a message to kick off the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in Anambra State.

Tribune Online gathered that Cervical Cancer Awareness Month is commemorated globally in January to increase awareness and education on the prevalence and threat of the fourth most common cancer among women and also to get more stakeholders involved in the fight to completely take it out.

In her message, the governor’s wife said that the HPV vaccine which is billed to arrive in Anambra State in the shortest date, will complement existing efforts that have been put in place by the current administration to push back the disease.

Mrs Soludo noted that while the wait is on, it is also imperative to continue to raise awareness on the existential threat of cervical cancer among women and girls and to educate women more on the need to go for regular check-ups, with the understanding that early detection is key to the whole process.

She explained that the count of women and girls who have been affected by the disease calls for a more strategic approach, adding that stakeholders and advocates should take cervical cancer education beyond digital windows to physical education to reach more rural people.

She also spoke about beating the phobia and stigma that come with cervical cancer, noting that while women must stop seeing the disease as a death sentence, those leading the advocacy also need to educate people that cervical cancer is treatable and that its patients are not as unfortunate as they may think.

Mrs Soludo further explained that through a partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), over 5000 women have been screened free of charge, while those whose diagnosis came back positive were treated at no costs, pointing out that the state is currently expanding the intervention to reach out to more women and girls, especially those living in the rural areas.

The Anambra governor’s wife, who is a Cervical Cancer Ambassador, also appealed to women and girls in their reproductive age to take cervical cancer screening seriously, stating that if diagnosed early enough, the disease can be easily treated.

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