By Our Reporter
The Federal Government, in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders, will, on Tuesday, launch an initiative christened Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCIN).
The PECCIN is an initiative of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) established to accelerate the implementation of World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 targets in Nigeria.
According to a Press Release signed by the Chair, Media and Communications of the NTF-CCE, Chief (Mrs) Moji Makanjuola, the initiative is aimed at catalyzing multi-sectoral action for preventing, screening, and treating cervical cancer through sustained coordination, resource mobilization, and service delivery scaleup
The launch of the initiative, the Press Release further said, will be flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
It would be recalled that the First Lady had earlier graciously reaffirmed her commitment to the fight against cervical cancer through a generous donation of one billion naira to the task force from the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The Chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) and former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, explained that the objectives of PECCIN is to drive sub-national government —led coordinated expansion of cervical cancer elimination activities, and foster multisectoral coordination and collaboration.
PECCIN members are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, World Health Organisation (WHO), National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), NHIA, NPHCDA, Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN)and the Gates Foundation.
He disclosed that 60 million women in Nigeria are at risk of developing cervical cancer and that approximately 22 women die daily from this preventable and treatable disease in the country.
The NT F-CCE, Prof. Adewole said, was established in August 2024 by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to lead Nigeria’s national response on cervical cancer.
NTF-CCE’s mandate is to accelerate Nigeria’ progress towards achieving the WHO Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy 90:70:90 targets by 2030, focusing on vaccinating 90% of girls aged 9 to 14 against HPV, screening 70% of eligible women far pre-cancerous lesions, and ensuring 90% of women with cervical! disease receive appropriate treatment,” Prof Adewole said.
He added that by 2027, the task force aims to vaccinate 50% of eligible girls, and screen 5O% of women while strengthening health systems to ensure effective treatment for all detected cases.
For effectiveness, the task force comprises ten specialised subcommittees for comprehensive programme oversight.
In a related development on the global scene, Nigeria is noted to have led the proposal which resulted in the approval of November 17 every year as the World Cervical Cancer Elimination Day at the recent World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.
This is to promote consciousness and action against cervical cancer around the world.
