Push to eliminate cervical cancer
Roche Diagnostics, along with the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), hosted a human papillomavirus (HPV) workshop this month to discuss Namibia's strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.
The discussion focused on fostering collaboration between key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to push the country forward in eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.
CAN's CEO, Rolf Hansen, highlighted the World Health Organisation's global strategy for cervical cancer, which states that 90% of girls should be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; 70% of women should be screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 and again by the age of 45; and 90% of women with pre-cancer should be treated, while 90% of women with invasive cancer should be managed.
Hansen emphasised the importance of reaching women and girls in rural areas first, as they are more at risk and more susceptible.
"Public policies regarding cervical cancer need to be revisited and reviewed in Namibia. It should not be one person's or organisation's vision but rather a collective effort," he said.
Systems in place
During the keynote address, Namibia's first lady, Monica Geingos, said: "I want to commend the Namibian government for the incredible political role that it played during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Geingos advised that the “systems established and the lessons learned during the pandemic are the same systems and lessons we should adopt for cervical cancer."
She also cautioned the media and other role-players about steering clear of misinformation when working on the subject of health.
"We should make sure that we don't treat misinformation as a soft issue. It is an incredibly hard issue. When young people have access to the right information, they can make better decisions for their health."
The discussion focused on fostering collaboration between key stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem to push the country forward in eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.
CAN's CEO, Rolf Hansen, highlighted the World Health Organisation's global strategy for cervical cancer, which states that 90% of girls should be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; 70% of women should be screened using a high-performance test by the age of 35 and again by the age of 45; and 90% of women with pre-cancer should be treated, while 90% of women with invasive cancer should be managed.
Hansen emphasised the importance of reaching women and girls in rural areas first, as they are more at risk and more susceptible.
"Public policies regarding cervical cancer need to be revisited and reviewed in Namibia. It should not be one person's or organisation's vision but rather a collective effort," he said.
Systems in place
During the keynote address, Namibia's first lady, Monica Geingos, said: "I want to commend the Namibian government for the incredible political role that it played during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Geingos advised that the “systems established and the lessons learned during the pandemic are the same systems and lessons we should adopt for cervical cancer."
She also cautioned the media and other role-players about steering clear of misinformation when working on the subject of health.
"We should make sure that we don't treat misinformation as a soft issue. It is an incredibly hard issue. When young people have access to the right information, they can make better decisions for their health."
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