New hope to reduce cervical cancer deaths

A poignant story about a woman from Malawi this week resonates deeply with many. At the age of 40, Mary went for cervical cancer screening and tested positive.

And because the cancer had spread to her uterus, her only option was a surgical procedure to remove the uterus (hysterectomy). But Mary had been trying for 10 years to start a family.

Sadly, she declined the operation and succumbed to the disease in November last year.

Her tragic death is all too common in Malawi, a country with one of the highest mortality rates due to cervical cancer, and in other parts of the region. It is a narrative that must be changed— because cervical cancer is one of the preventable and treatable forms of cancer.

Cervical cancer is most often caused by certain strains of the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There were about 43 million HPV infections in 2018, many among people in their late teens and early 20s, according to an Internet search.

There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems, including genital warts and cancers.

Although every girl or woman who is sexually active will become infected with HPV, most strains are benign and will not harm people with healthy immune systems.

It can take 10 to 20 years for the HPV infection to progress to cervical cancer, less time if the immunity of the woman is compromised due to HIV, the infection that causes Aids. Hence, periodic screening programmes have great importance in the prevention of cervical cancer.

With the advancement of medical technology, cervical cancer screening is easily accessible. Nowadays, self-care interventions offer women the ability to take their samples for HPV infection test.

Even if the HPV infection progresses to cervical cancer, it can be treated if the cancerous cells are detected early and managed well. Yet, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women globally.

In 2020, about 604 000 new cases were detected globally and 342 000 women lost their lives. About 90 percent of those new cases and deaths occurred in low and middle-income countries.

Despite recent technological advances, the rate of cervical cancer is on the increase in some sub-Saharan African countries where 19 of the 20 countries with the highest caseloads are in East and Southern Africa.

A visit to South Sudan and an engagement wth Yolanda Wel Deng, one of the youngest Health ministers on the continent, established growing concerns about the rise in cancers, especially cervical cancer among women and young girls who bear children and the need to integrate reproductive health screening and treatment services in the packages they offer to women and girls.

Why does this trend persist? It boils down to inadequate screening of women and girls, late diagnosis, limited access to timely and quality treatment and high HIV prevalence. Studies show a strong link between HIV and cervical cancer. Women living with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer than those without the infection, according to the World Health Organisation.