A health specialist says the country needs at least 70 percent of women aged between 25 and above to be screened for cervical cancer if Malawi is to realize the benefits of screening.
An obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Lameck Chinula, explained that women being diagnosed with the disease need appropriate treatment to prevent deaths as some will need surgeries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
He indicated that the other setback is that it’s always difficult for most Malawians to go to hospitals when they’re not sick.
“As of now we still have less than 30 percent of Malawian women undergoing cervical cancer screening. So we also need to have many women coming to health facilities and accessing cervical cancer screening services for us to see the benefits of cervical cancer screening services”.
Based on childhood vaccines, Chinula stated that Malawi is not in the top ten of countries that shun immunisations as research shows that 9 out of 10 children who need it get it at under-five clinics where they are enlightened on the required vaccines and on growth and weight monitoring.
He indicated that as the number of people accessing screening services is increasing, so is the population hence necessary for a good proportion of women to come for these services.
Currently there is a cervical cancer vaccine that when given to young girls less than 9 to 14 years, cases of the disease can be significantly reduced but that impact though not seen immediately, takes decades for the country to realize the benefits of the vaccine.
“It’s still a challenge in the sense that you and me know about this cervical cancer vaccine and the community is aware of it now, but not so many people or families have brought their girls to get the vaccine. So until we have a good number of girls vaccinated, we’ll not reap the benefits of the cervical cancer vaccine.
“Then we also have women who are beyond the age that they can receive the vaccine and you can prevent cervical cancer from there by advising them to go for go for cervical cancer screening; when they go for cervical cancer screening, they can be found with early changes on the mouth of the womb but with simple treatment can prevent cervical cancer” observed Chinula
However for girls of ages ranging from 9-14, there is no established health care service that requires parents to bring them to hospitals.
The gynecologist admitted it’s the first time after introducing the vaccine that parents are being asked to bring the girls in the prescribed age range to hospital, and for the Health Ministry to get as many parents bring them to school, there is need for more awareness on its importance.
“These 9 to 14 year old girls they’re at school. We have a very good enrollment rate of girls of that age in schools and if we for example combine bringing it to them or making the vaccine available in hospitals; combining that maybe with campaigns at regular intervals where we go to schools and administer the vaccine, we probably will reach out to many girls as we are doing now and there’s also data to support that.
Before Malawi introduced the cervical cancer vaccine, a pilot project was done in 2013 in Rumphi and Zomba whereby it was given to girls in standard four because following an assessment, it was noted most of the nine year olds are usually in this class.
The teachers together with health surveillance assistants worked and administered it and reached out to about 90 percent of the target.
He nonetheless admitted the logistical costs of going to schools tends to be higher as compared when it’s incorporated in the health care system.
“We need to balance because there can be high operational costs of going to schools, but again if we don’t do that, then we’ll be seeing maybe still increased numbers of cervical cancer cases that we need to treat and the cost of treating may not be as so much compared to the cost of actually making them available to the girls”
