Survey Finds Alarming Number Of Nigerian Women Of Child-Bearing Age Are Ignorant Of Cervical Cancer Screening & Its Huge Benefits
Many women do not realise that cervical cancer unlike other types of cancer in women is completely preventable. A survey carried out by Silver Lining for the Needy Initiative has revealed that an alarming number of Nigerian women of child-bearing age are ignorant of cervical cancer screening. The survey, which also indicated that only a few of the female population have gone for cervical cancer screening, premised the low turn-out to lack of awareness and religious, as well as ethnic factors.
The Chief Oversight Officer of SLNI, Hauwa Abbas, said this in a statement entitled: “The silent killer amongst women”, issued on Tuesday in Abuja to celebrate World Cancer Day. While attributing it to poor knowledge of cervical cancer, high cost of screening and lack of effective screening programmes, she said the survey was carried out in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by the Communications Officer of SLNI, Ms. Aminat Abu.
She also suggested that community education, increased awareness, affordable screening methods and the use of the primary healthcare centres as screening centres were needed to improve cervical cancer control.
Abbas said the Cervical Cancer Control Plan in Nigeria had recommended Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid or with Lugol’s iodine, for screening, (secondary prevention strategy) of sexually-exposed women.
Current estimates indicated that every year 14,943 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 10,403 die from the disease.
The World Health Organisation said cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths in 2018 representing 6.6 per cent of all female cancers.