Many Nigerian women face delays getting care as a result of backlogs of missed treatment pile up and experts’ fears that the postponement of life –saving screenings threatening sharp rises is putting more women at risk in developing cancer and fuelling reproductive health issues, as coronavirus disruption has plunged treatments.
These experts urged that health professionals to tackle logjams of canceled treatment as quickly as possible to ensure many people who need treatment receives the health services and medicines, warning that the rising concerns that the emergency response to the Covid-19 pandemic will have wider health consequences and is leading to increased deaths from other causes.
Currently, Nigeria faces a uniquely challenging moment with the COVID-19 pandemic and significant adaptation of health care services is required to assist the COVID-19 patients, at the same time as continuing to assist other patients who cannot have their treatments postponed.
The appointments, however, are not urgent procedures and rely on physical contact between the patient and medical worker meaning many have fallen by the wayside.
“Many people who need treatment have not been receiving the health services and medicines they need since the COVID-19 pandemic began and as “social distancing” policies lead these women to postpone non-urgent trips to health clinics, they lose opportunities to be screened and treated for cervical cancer,” said Bukola Adeniyi, consultant family physician and head of family practice, Q-Life Family clinic.
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According to Adeniyi, this situation is of significant concern because many people who need treatment for diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes have not been receiving health services.
“The postponement of public screening programmes for breast and cervical cancer was also widespread, reported by more than 50 percent of countries and COVID 19 has heightened the vulnerabilities of different population groups, particularly women and girls which are most vulnerable.
“Services become increasingly disrupted as a country moves from sporadic cases to community transmission of the coronavirus. Contraception, safe abortion, and cervical cancer screenings and treatment are all essential preventative services,” she said.
Similarly, Hadiza Galadanci, director of Africa Center of Excellence for Population Health and Policy, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital/Bayero University Kano, Nigeria said the use of contraceptives reduces the risk of endometrial cancer and ovarian tumors in women by 40 percent, as well as reduces the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Meanwhile, Obstetrics and Gynecology experts say COVID-19 affecting the contraceptive supply chain and women’s unmet need for family planning in Nigeria is high as UNFPA estimates that 47 million women may lose access to modern contraception if the situation continues for 6 months and could lead to nearly 7 million unintended pregnancies.
These experts concerns come as they proffer solutions saying screening helps to identify women with premalignant lesions and treatment or follow-up could be offered as appropriate, also noting that there is a need to put in place, mitigations to avoid prolonged interruption to a health facility services to prevent very poor health indices especially RMNCAH+N activities.
“When women come to health care facilities for other reasons the opportunity can be taken to offer them cervical cancer screening services and mothers in maternity units also need these essential services to minimise missed opportunities,” said Adeniyi.
She maintained that screening could also afford the detection of early stages of invasive cancer where the institution of treatment promises favorable prognosis.
“It is a difficult time for all. This public health catastrophe will result in deaths not only from COVID-19 but also from ‘collateral damage,’ particularly among women served by weak health systems unable to respond to multiple emergencies simultaneously.
“We hope this can be a call to action for stakeholders to invest in more robust health systems, especially for the most vulnerable,” said Adeniyi.
