Imo governor calls for more focus on cervical cancer screening

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has called for stronger public awareness and increased uptake of free cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination across the state.

During the flag off of the Cervical Cancer Screening programme in Owerri, Governor Uzodinma urged communities to leverage technology and grassroots networks to spread information, saying that cervical cancer is now preventable and treatable, and no longer the death sentence it was thought to be.

He encouraged women to take advantage of available free services, dismissing fears about vaccination side effects.

Uzidinma commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Oluremi for supporting cancer control initiatives, including financial backing, and pledged continued state collaboration to eliminate cervical cancer through sustained awareness and partnership with health stakeholders.

In her address, Chioma Uzodinma, wife of the governor and chairperson First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC), said the initiative, under the partnership for Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria, marked ‘the beginning of a new era of hope and decisive action’ against a disease she called “one of the gravest threats to Nigerian women.”

Citing 2023 data of 13,676 new cases nationwide, she stressed the urgency of action, aligning with the World Health Organisation’s 90-70-90 targets on vaccination, screening, and treatment.

She commended the wife of President Tinubu for a N1billion donation to the national task force, noting that Imo’s selection reflects the state government’s commitment to women’s health. She urged women to take advantage of the initiative, emphasising that “early detection saves lives.”

Iziaq Adekunle Salako, minister of state for health and social welfare, said the initiative reflected the commitment of President Tinubu to prioritise women’s health. “No woman should die from a largely preventable cancer,” he stated.

He disclosed that Nigeria has vaccinated over 15 million girls against HPV and introduced a national screening guideline, backed by the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan (2026–2030).

Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, co-chair of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination, has urged health officials in Imo State to sustain newly-launched screening programmes.

Speaking at the flag-off, she warned that past initiatives in other states faded after political transitions, stressing the need for continuity. “We have done our part; it is now left to you to uplift the women of Imo State,” she said.

Isaac Adewole, chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination, who joined virtually, hailed the rollout of Nigeria’s national cervical cancer training programme.

He said the initiative, which began with the taskforce’s inauguration in 2024, positions Nigeria as the first country in Africa to implement a nationwide cervical cancer training scheme.

Adewole, Nigeria’s Ambassador designate to Canada credited government support and donor funding for accelerating the programme.

Chioma Egu, Imo State commissioner for health, said the programme would strengthen prevention, screening, treatment, and HPV vaccination across the state.

Imo State, she said, had already launched the partnership for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer Programme, aimed at strengthening prevention, screening, treatment, and HPV vaccination.

Egu commended Governor Uzodinma for his “unwavering political will” and praised the First Lady for her advocacy in cancer prevention, while acknowledging the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination for technical support.