Sumaila Ogbaje
Dr Rakiya Abubakar, President, Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA), has reaffirmed the association’s commitment to bridging the gap in cervical cancer screening awareness and early detection among women.
Abubakar stated this on Thursday in Abuja, at the unveiling of the newly installed screening equipment at NAFOWA Cancer Screening Center, NAF Base.
She emphasised the importance of collaboration in tackling the disease, which had remained a major health burden in the country.
The president reiterated that NAFOWA was dedicated to ensuring that no woman was left behind in the fight against cervical cancer.
“Through our partnerships with health institutions and government agencies, we are creating opportunities for women to access screenings and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations which are critical in reducing mortality rates,” she said.
She noted that NAFOWA had launched several initiatives, including free screening programmes as well as educational campaigns, to raise awareness about cervical cancer prevention.
She also said that the association’s ongoing health outreaches with a focus on military communities and rural areas, had reached thousands of women.
She called on government to expand cervical cancer screening programmes and make HPV vaccination more accessible nationwide.
According to her, early detection is key, women need to know that screening and vaccination can save lives.
“We urge all stakeholders to work together to increase access to these services.”
Earlier in her remarks, Mrs Juliet Joseph, Supervisor, NAFOWA Cancer Screening Centre, said that the centre had achieved significant milestone in the fight against cervical cancer with two new multimillion naira pieces of equipment; a corpuscle and an ultrasound scanning machine.
She said that the two equipment were designed to enhance early detection and prevention of cervical cancer.
According to her, the two equipment will boost early detection and prevention of cervical cancer.
Joseph explained that the centre had continued to provide essential screening services, which include mammograms, visual inspection with iodine and methotrexate, and low electro-surgical excision procedures among others on a fee-for-service basis.
In the same vein, the Director of Research and Development, Nigerian Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), Dr Nwamaka Lasebikan, underscored the potential of HPV Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing as a revolutionary tool in improving screening efficiency.
Lasebikan said that HPV DNA testing had proven to be 95 per cent more effective in detecting pre-cancerous lesions compared to traditional Pap smears.
According to her, it is a game-changer, and there is the need to prioritise its adoption nationwide.
She said that Nigeria’s HPV vaccination coverage had remained below 10 per cent, far behind the over 80 per cent recorded in high-income countries.
She urged the Nigerian government to engage in a partnership to integrate cervical cancer screening into routine maternal healthcare visits as well as to establish more strategic partnerships with civil society organisations.
“If we fail to act now, projections indicate that nearly 700,000 Nigerian women could succumb to cervical cancer by 2030.
“I urge everyone; private sector leaders, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and religious elders to unite in accelerating cervical cancer prevention strategies.
“This is not just about women’s health, it’s about national development, economic productivity, and global health equity,” she said. (NAN)
