Empowering Women to Take Charge Against Cervical Cancer

Women living with HIV are more prone to cervical cancer than their HIV negative counterparts. USAID Dumisha Afya is leading a raft of interventions, not only against HIV, but also cervical cancer.

Clinicians scrutinize patient data at Webuye County Hospital in Bungoma. USAID Dumisha Afya supports facilities in Bungoma and Busia to enable them to deal effectively with HIV and cancer.

In partnership with Bungoma and Busia County governments, USAID Dumisha Afya is convening a series of routine trainings targeting the most at risk – mainly women living with HIV from age 25 – 49.

The trainings seek to equip service providers with requisite knowledge and skills in handling cervical cancer cases. In all 169 facilities in both counties, the program has at least one staff trained on handling the cases.

The program also helps maintain equipment used for screening and provides essential commodities for screening. Those who test positive are supported in accessing treatment. In FY22, the program screened 12,264 clients against a cumulative target of 12,776. Two hundred sixty-six clients had positive lesions and 195 received treatment within the financial year.

The program also works with the community through various outreach activities and awareness campaigns. According to WHO, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide with an estimated 604,000 new cases in 2020. Of the estimated 342,000 deaths from cervical cancer in 2020, about 90 percent of these occurred in low- and middle-income countries.