With January marked as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, health experts have called for affirmative action in addressing alarming cases of cervical cancer.
A 2024 study by the World Health Organization(WHO) indicated that 25-30% of sexually active women have been screened, leaving many vulnerable to this preventable disease.
Dr Martin Origa, a gynecologist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, acknowledging that cervical cancer often presents no early symptoms, said that making regular screening was crucial for detection and timely intervention.
According to him, in observing the awareness month, there was an urgency for sexually active women to engage in early screening to detect symptoms, as most of them are prone to the disease.
“Cervical cancer often presents no early symptoms, making regular screening the only way to catch it in time. All sexually active women, regardless of age, must prioritize getting screened,” Dr Origa said.
He advised women to get screening done from the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI), local health centers, and hospitals offering screening services across the country.
“You can book appointments through phone calls or online booking on the ministry website, and also walk-ins are welcome at the available centers,” Dr Origa said.
However, he noted that despite the critical importance of screening, many women remain untested.
“This gap in screening is often due to lack of awareness about the need for regular screenings, access barriers, particularly in rural areas, and financial constraints or fear of the procedure,” he said.
According to him, the ministry has launched initiatives across social media, radio, TV, and community outreach to educate women about the importance of screening, allowing for improved accessibility by expanding screening services into rural areas and increasing the number of facilities available.
“Prevention saves lives, and regular screenings can detect precancerous changes, allowing for timely intervention,” Dr Origa added.
The Ministry of Health has advised women to pay attention to success stories from survivors and healthcare professionals as powerful reminders of the lives saved through early detection.
Additionally, the common screening methods women should familiarize themselves with are Pap smears and papillomavirus (HPV) tests, which are effective in identifying cervical issues.
This year, the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month aims to highlight the importance of increasing access to HPV vaccines, regular screening, and state-of-the-art treatment for cervical cancer in its early stages, and the objective of reducing the occurrence of cervical cancer by 2030 and eliminating the disease as a public health problem by 2120.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, an ideal chance for WHO and partners to raise awareness of cervical cancer and vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer.
