The Outjo District in the Kunene Region will benefit greatly from the collaboration between the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, where they will work together to address the urgent issue of cervical cancer within the community.
The Cancer Association said the Outjo District medical team has orchestrated a cervical cancer screening campaign scheduled to run from 25 to 29 September.
“The campaign encompasses both Visual Inspection by Acetic Acid and Pap smear tests (cytology) and seeks to bridge the accessibility gap by making screening services readily available to every woman in the district,” they added.
CAN extended its unwavering support to ensure that vital consumables necessary for the screenings are secured, when they acknowledged budgetary constraints faced by the Ministerial campaign.
Chief Executive Officer at CAN, Rolf Hansen said they fully support the Ministry’s teams that take the initiative to pro-actively serve their communities and therefore wholeheartedly support this support request. “This campaign aligns with CAN’s own National Cancer Outreach Programme and reflects our ongoing commitment to fighting cancer and its devastating effects in Namibian,” he affirmed.
Statistics show that cervical cancer is a substantial global health concern, ranking as the fourth most common cancer among women and leading to significant fatalities the main culprit behind this ailment is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), a prevalent sexually transmitted infection.
To pre-emptively counter this treatment, the HPV vaccine is a recommended safeguard against the most prevalent types of HPV associated with cervical cancer and CAN encourages vaccination for girls and boys between the ages of 9 to 12 and champions proactive protection to avert future HPV-related disease.
The association underscores the importance of educating the community about cervical cancer, HPV, and the HPV vaccine.
“In our unswerving dedication to combat cancer, we stand united with communities and healthcare professionals, and is commitment to offering support, resources, and advocacy is instrumental in bolstering Namibia’s fight against cancer,” they concluded.
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