Statement by Founder, Eunice Spring Life Foundation , H.E Dr. Eunice Ortom on the occasion of the Cervical Cancer Elimination Day, 2021

17th November 2021 marks the first anniversary of the World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day. This day last year, the World Health Organization launched the global strategy to accelerate the elimination of Cervical Cancer as a public health problem and adopted 17th of November as a day to commemorate the campaign against cervical cancer. Though previously neglected, Cervical Cancer is the 3rd most common form of cancer and the the 2nd most common form of cancer amongst women. The accelerating rate of cervical cancer diagnosis has become a thing of major concern hence the decision by Wives of State Governors to come together as First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC) with the aim of intensifying the campaign and to create more awareness against this dreaded killer.

Cervical cancer can be tamed through screening, vaccination and early detection/treatment. As such, I enjoin every Benue woman to avail themselves to designated health centres for routine screenings, vaccination and in cases where there is a detection of Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) the virus that causes this form of cancer, early treatment should be sought at specialist hospitals.

The WHO global strategy code named 90-70-90 Strategy plans to achieve 90% Vaccination, 70% Screening and 90% Treatment by 2030. As brilliant as the strategy is, it is a tall task especially in developing countries like ours that is faced with huge shortage of related health equipment/facilities, very limited access to HPV vaccines as well as public enlightenment. It is in view of this that I call on all policy makers, administrators and related stakeholders to make conscious efforts in allocating and providing funds, making policies and facilitating partnerships that will ease the fight against Cervical cancer, create easy access to care and treatment so as to hasten its elimination.