Niger state government has kicked off free treatment of Cervical Cancer screening and treatment for five thousand women of reproductive age group for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
The first phase of the programme will take off in nine out of the twenty-five local government areas of the state before moving to other local government areas.
This is part of the bold step taken by the state government to ensure that the state achieves less than four new cases of cervical cancer per 100,000.
The state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello who flagged off the programme held at the Neo-Natal wing of the General Hospital, Minna yesterday appealed to religious leaders and family heads to encourage their women and daughters of reproductive age to go out en-mass and benefit from the exercise.
“As a State, we are set to provide organized Cervical Cancer screening of initial 5,000 women of reproductive age group for HPV across the State and treat those with cervical precancerous lesions.
“We will continue to strive to ensure that Niger State is one of the leading states in the country to achieve less than four new cases of Cervical Cancer per 100,000,” he assured.
The wife of the Governor, Dr Amina Sani Bello had earlier disclosed that the state is in collaboration with WHO/CHAI/RAiSE Foundation to align with the World Health Organisation (WHO) global strategy of 90: 70: 90 of Cervical Cancer elimination.
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She said the success of the ongoing service will determine the second phase and therefore called on those eligible to embrace the free treatment immediately and assist in eliminating the disease.
A Cancer Survivor and Executive Director, International Centre For Sexual Reproductive Rights, Cesnabmihilo Dorothy Aken’Ova in her contribution described the programme as very timely and therefore appealed to women to come out en masse for the screening.
She said, “for a very long time, we have desired that Nigeria should meet up with the general global standard such that women get support in terms of early detection of cancer. I am very happy today that it is a reality”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Makusidi Muhammad said all the twenty-five local government areas of the state will benefit from the exercise.
The first nine Local Government Areas to benefit from the first phase are Chanchaga, Suleja, Kontagora, Lapai, Mokwa, Borgu, Paikoro, Gbako and Bosso
