The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has unveiled a new campaign, Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCIN), aimed at meeting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) elimination target by 2030.
The First Lady noted that the campaign would help the nation bring to an end the menace of cervical cancer among women of all ages across the country.
“Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. In Nigeria, it is the second most common cancer after breast cancer and it is a silent killer, and one that strikes hardest at the most vulnerable women. Yet, this is a cancer that is preventable.
“I am glad that this partnership aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda on Health of President Bola Tinubu, to promote the health and well-being of Nigerians, particularly eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat for women across the nation. Nigeria has shown that it is possible to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.
“In the year 2024, Nigeria made a breakthrough by launching the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) nationally, protecting over 12-million girls in just 9 months. This success was led by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, with support from global partners, such as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Gates Foundation, WHO, and UNICEF. I thank all our partners for standing with us,” the First Lady noted.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu advised stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians not to relent but form a strong coalition that would reduce the high prevalence of the disease among women.
“Eliminating cervical cancer requires collaborative action. State and local governments and healthcare professionals, must all prioritize women’s health. Also, our schools and educational institutions need to be champions of immunization. In addition, it behooves on our religious and traditional leaders to advocate for truth and science. And yes, funding and a lot of resources is needed,” she said.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, said the partnership is a crucial step towards eliminating cervical cancer in Nigeria, which claims the lives of many women due to ignorance, late presentation for care, and sub-optimal treatment infrastructure.
He said within the last few months, 40 million Nigerian girls have been vaccinated against the virus which causes the cancer, HPV.
The Minister commended the First Lady for her passionate and consistent support for the upliftment of the health and well-being of Nigerians, particularly in the area of cancer prevention and control, a course to which through her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI donated N1 billion.
He said the National Taskforce for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, led by Prof. Isaac Adewole, has been working diligently to actualize its mandate.
“The taskforce has developed a concise policy brief, organized high-level advocacy visits, and mobilized across-society support for the elimination of cervical cancer.
“The Federal Government has also reconstituted and re-energised its Nuclear Medicine Technical Working Group to enhance the country’s capacity for cancer staging, treatment planning, response monitoring, and recurrence detection.
“To reduce the financial burden of cancer treatment, the Federal Government has continued to appropriate resources to sustain the Cancer Health Fund.
“With the commitment of the Federal Government, the support of partners, and the dedication of healthcare professionals, Nigeria can achieve the WHO’s 90-70-90 targets and make cervical cancer a rare disease in the country.
“The partnership will work to mobilize resources, raise awareness, and provide access to screening and treatment services for cervical cancer,” the Minister said.
Various speakers at the event commended the Nigerian government and First Lady of Nigeria for the unparallel commitment to scaling up awareness, detection, treatment and prevention of cervical cancer.
Survivors of the cancer came up to give their testimonies and also encourage other women to get tested and get treated if need be as Cervical Cancer is preventable and treatable.
Students who had already received the HPV vaccine also urged others to get vaccinated.
