Anambra Govt Conducts Cervical Cancer Screening For Over 7,000 Women

Anambra State government has screened a total of 7,150 women for cervical cancer as it 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 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 5000, adding that within six months, they had screened 7159.

Out of the 7,159 women screened, she said 120 of them are 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 Soludo approved the second phase in order to capture more women thereby expanding their screening facilities from 25 to 45.

This, she added, neccessited the training of the health workers in the new facilities for them to be equipped with all they need to know about the disease.

Dr. Chinedu Agu, from the Federal Medical Centre Onitsha, who is the trainer said that cervical cancer could be genetic.

Agu who noted that the major infection that causes the disease is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), added that it is sexually transmitted.

He revealed that the virus can be stopped through vaccination of young girls which he affirmed is currently ongoing.