A total of seven thousand, one hundred and fifty women in Anambra state have undergone cervical cancer screening, as the state government has kicked off the second phase of the exercise.
The Anambra State Reproductive Health Coordinator, Dr. Uju Okoye disclosed this during the training of new health workers that will participate in the exercise.
According to Dr. Okoye, last year, the wife of the governor of Anambra state, Mrs. Nonye Soludo who is a cervical cancer champion facilitated the free screening and treatment of women in the state with a target of five thousand, and that within six months, they had screened seven thousand, one hundred and fifty-with one hundred and twenty of them as cervical cancer suspects and are currently undergoing treatments.
She noted that as a result of the success of the first phase of the exercise, Governor Chukwuma Soludo approved for the second phase in order to capture more women and thereby expanding their screening facilities from initial twenty-five to forty-five, which necessitated the training of the health workers in the new facilities for them to be equipped with all they need to know about the disease for a seamless job to be done.
Dr. Chinedu Agu, from the Federal Medical Centre Onitsha, who is the trainer, made it clear that cervical cancer could be genetic, and that there are other things that can predispose a woman to having the disease, like early intercourse as well as early bearing of children, among others.
Dr. Agu who noted that the major infection that causes the disease is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which he said is sexually transmitted, revealed that the virus can be stopped through vaccination of young girls which he confirmed is currently ongoing.
One of the participants, Mrs. Loretta Olisah, from Primary Health Care Centre, Oba Two, in Idemili South Local Government Area, said that what she has learnt from the training has properly positioned her to discharge her duties effectively and efficiently.
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