Some members of the Cameroon Association of English speaking Journalists Douala chapter CMASEJ-D lead by their president Maureen Ndih where this Friday 5th January drilled on the causes and prevention of cervical cancer in a workshop at the Baptist hospital Mbopi in the Douala 2 subdivision. The workshop that came up this January like that of last year is under the high patronage of the ministry of public health and the national committee for the fight against cancer in the commemoration of the national cervical cancer awareness month.
In collaboration with English speaking journalists, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, CBCHS and Humanity at Heart, H@H is multiplying effort to create awareness in the public towards an efficient fight against a silent killer which is the caner of the cervix.
It could be frightful to know that cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women the world over, and claims the life of one woman every two minutes. But also, the good news here is that the calamity can be avoided if quickly diagnosed. Statistics show that 604 000 new cases were diagnosed in the year 2020. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths with 342 000 victims that same year.
It is rather unfortunate that Cameroon is the second highly affected country by this type of cancer in Africa behind Chad with 33.7 % of the cases and 23.4 % of deaths. In Cameroon, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer after breast cancer. The figures could keep growing if the population is not schooled on the right attitudes to adopt in their everyday life. This explains why the journalist must have a prominent position in the picture.
Being in January the cancer awareness month, it is salient to awake the population that cervical cancer is mostly caused by the Human Papilloma Virus HPV which is not very much known by the general public. The virus could be picked up by simple skin contact though it is mostly contracted by unprotected sexual intercourse. Consequently it will be very important to advice our women to always go for constant screening as early diagnosis reduces the threat that the illness could have on the person’s life.
However, seeking to reduce the prevalence rate of cervical cancer in Cameroon, adolescents should be advice to abstain from sexual activities or even refrain from starting early. Grownups that are already sexually active will live a better life being faithful or use condoms for those who do not have fidelity in their vocabulary.
Nevertheless, the agreeable news here is that the Human Papilloma Virus HPV which is the causative agent of the dreaded illness has a vaccine which will always act as a good protection. Experts say that it will be very effective to a woman before her first sexual intercourse and will be less effective in an already sexually active woman.
This explains why in Cameroon the vaccine is done for free to young boys and girls in the ages of 9 to 14. The vaccines is given in a single dose. It will be important that the vaccination campaign goes faster and wider for Prevention is better than cure.