Scale up cervical cancer fight—minister
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda has decried slow progress in the fight against cervical cancer which can be cured if detected early.
In her address to the Malawi Cervical Cancer Symposium in Lilongwe yesterday, she stressed the need for communities to be sensitised to interventions such as human papiloma virus (HPV) vaccination if cases are to drop.
Said Chiponda: “As a country we have been left behind and we have not done well, the symposium is a call to action as coordinated efforts to fight against cervical cancer.”
According to World Cancer Research Fund, Malawi continues to have one of the highest cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the world, ranking second after E-swatini, formerly Swaziland.
In his remarks, obstetrician gynaecologist Dr. Lameck Chinula highlighted some of the challenges hindering effective intervention and control of cervical cancer which include insufficient funding and resources.
“We believe collaboration should be essentially considered to mobilise the necessary resources and equipment for cervical cancer prevention and control,” he said.
Malawi has a population of 6.03 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Current estimates indicate that 4 145 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 2 905 die from the disease.
