Keeping Cervical Cancer at Bay
As the world observed cervical cancer awareness month in January, USAID AMPATH Uzima, through its Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) project, has intensified efforts to promote the HPV vaccine for girls ages 10-14 in Trans Nzoia County. The HPV vaccine is one of the strategies recommended to tackle cervical cancer effectively.
According to World Health Organization, 99 percent of cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with the high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Unfortunately, the Global Cancer Observatory shows that in 2020, there were 5,236 new cases of cervical cancer and 3,211 related deaths in Kenya across women of all ages. Moreover, the 5-year prevalence of cervical cancer among women of all ages in Kenya was 10,881.
In recognition that prevention is better than cure, USAID AMPATH Uzima has supported a series of Integrated Health Outreaches and School Health Programs. These activities aim to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine in school-going children. The healthcare workers in the county have administered 14,817 HPV vaccines between June- December 2021 and have intensified the outreaches during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the HPV vaccine between ages 11 and 12. Clinical trials have shown that HPV vaccines are highly effective in preventing cervical infection with the types of HPV they target when given before first exposure to the virus—that is, before individuals begin to engage in sexual activity. It's ideal for girls to receive the vaccine before they have sexual contact and are exposed to HPV. Therefore, the outreaches and school programs focus on the girls between ages 10 and 14, anticipating that they have neither had sexual encounters nor been exposed to the virus.
The interventions through the school programs ensure that the young girls are vaccinated and also provide an opportunity to educate the community on the need for vaccination and early cervical cancer screening. The children reached serve as ambassadors of the messages to their parents, guardians, and communities to understand the benefits of prevention and early screening and treatment of cervical cancer. The integrated outreaches facilitated by the program ensure that residents from the informal settlements and hard-to-reach areas can access knowledge and referral services at the various health facilities.
Additionally, the USAID AMPATH Uzima program continues to carry out cervical cancer screening for women living with HIV who receive care in the supported facilities annually. Women living with HIV are at increased risk of human papillomavirus infection, cervical cancer, and precancerous lesions compared with uninfected women. The Kenya National Cancer Guidelines recommend annual cervical cancer screening for women living with HIV.
