The Founder/CEO of Medicaid Cancer Foundation and Board Member, Union for International Cancer Control, Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, has revealed that 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs) like Nigeria.
She noted this during a screening documentary film titled “Conquering Cancer” to health and cancer stakeholders organised by Project PINK BLUE in partnership with Moonshine Agency Australia at the United States of America Corner in Abuja.
According to her, many women globally are battling with cervical cancer and today, we have Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine to prevent this cancer, painfully, many women across the world cannot have access to this life-saving vaccine.
She said: “There is a misconception that cancer is a rich man’s disease and not our problem in low-income countries. Yet, the fact is that there is none here that can put his or her hand up and confidently say that he or she does not know anybody that has ever had cancer.
“If you put six people in a room, at least half of them would have been affected by cancer one way or the other”.
Also, the Executive Director of Project PINK BLUE Runcie C.W. Chidebe said, cervical cancer is 90% preventable with human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine, however, the HPV vaccine is not included in Nigeria’s national routine immunization.
He explained that Rwanda could be the first country in Africa to eliminate cervical cancer through HPV vaccine programme. Honestly, no single country can eliminate cervical cancer alone, in Rwanda for instance, the GAVI Alliance is taking up over 80% of the cost of the vaccines while the Rwanda government and other partners like UNITAID, World Bank and Partners in Health are also supporting.
According to him, Nigeria needs this kind of partnership to accelerate access to HPV vaccine and save our girls and women.
The documentary film screening attracted various stakeholders from the health sector and cancer control in Nigeria. The film “Conquering Cancer” is a powerful documentary that tells the story of women battling cervical cancer, what the world can do to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer, access to human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.
The film featured the World Health Organization director general Dr Tedros A. Ghebreyesus and the WHO commitment to making HPV vaccine accessible to all women globally.
Also, the Programme Coordinator for Project PINK BLUE and Breast Cancer Survivor, Gloria C. Okwu said there is a need to make screening of women for cervical cancer a national programme.
She said Nigerian government is not doing enough because if they are doing enough, by now, we should have free cervical cancer screening for all women.
In her words “ We should have the vaccines out there. I am asking the government, why is this vaccine not part of routine immunization”.
