Cervical cancer prevention efforts get boost in Mwanza
MWANZA: ICAP Tanzania has donated medical supplies worth over 110m/- to health facilities in Mwanza region for cervical cancer prevention and enhance services for HIV patients.
The donation is part of technical assistance from the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) ICAP.
Mwanza Regional FIKIA+Project Manager Dr Joseph Obedi handed over the donation to Mwanza Regional Commissioner Amos Makalla on behalf of ICAP Country Director Ms Haruka Maruyama.
Dr Obedi said cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among women in the country and that early detection of disease and its treatment is important to prevent growth and further spread of the disease.
He said the ICAP in partnership with CDC in Tanzania has handed over 10 thermocoagulation machines worth 100m/- including other equipment that will be used for the treatment of cervical cancer screening.
Dr Obedi added that ICAP has also donated educational materials for pediatric HIV clinics including five TV sets, 10 swings, 10 slide height, 50 volleyballs and 50 soccer balls that will be used in offering entertainment and psychosocial education.
“FIKIA+ also aims to ensure that high-quality prevention interventions, including voluntary medical male circumcision, Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe) programming (DREAMS), pre-exposure prophylaxis and access to condoms to achieve epidemic control, are accessible to at-risk and vulnerable population groups”, he said.
Giving his remark, Mwanza Regional Commissioner Mr Amos Makalla praised the ICAP for its support and urged other organizations to emulate the example, insisting that the needs of equipment in the health sector were still high in the region.
