With only four years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, it's crucial for African governments to accelerate efforts to combat cervical cancer, the Executive Director of the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult), Mr Francis Ameyibor, has said.

“We are running out of time; we need to intensify efforts through a much more progressive and aggressive agenda to change the narratives.”

“The countdown to SDG 2030 for cervical cancer elimination in Africa is a race against time to ensure that the world meets the 90-70-90 targets set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).”

“These targets require 90 per cent of women with cervical disease to receive treatment, 70 per cent of women to be screened, and 90 per cent of women with precancerous lesions or cervical disease to receive treatment by 2030,” he said.

Speaking to journalists on the global Cervical Cancer Awareness Month observed in January, focused on raising awareness of cervical cancer, its prevention, and early detection, CDA Consult has adopted the month of February to spread cervical cancer awareness as the world marks Valentine's Day and demonstrates love.

The global Cervical Cancer Awareness Month aims to increase understanding of cervical cancer and encourage timely preventive actions, such as regular screening and vaccination, to combat the disease.

Mr Ameyibor was optimistic that “we can make significant strides in reducing the burden of this preventable disease and saving thousands of lives as we approach the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs through intensified efforts to combat cervical cancer in Africa.”  

He emphasised the need for African governments to adopt transformative health strategies to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.

Advocacy project

Mr Ameyibor stressed that CDA CONSULT, in collaboration with other organisations, including Caritas Christi Hospital at Ho, Volta Region; the National Insurance Commission; the Eastern Regional Directorate of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE); and Lifeline Haven Company Limited, has launched a five-year advocacy project in cervical cancer awareness creation.

The advocacy project dubbed, “Change Paradigm Advocacy Campaign”, aims at lobbying the government to make human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination free in Ghana and raise awareness of cervical cancer.

The national project, co-named “Ghana Must Rise Against Cervical Cancer”, focuses on free cervical cancer vaccination advocacy and scaling up prevention, detection, and treatment to eliminate cervical cancer in Ghana.

The Change Paradigm campaign by CDA Consult focuses on four pillars: free cervical cancer vaccination, scaling up prevention, encouraging screening for early detection, and providing support for treatment, aiming to eliminate cervical cancer in Ghana by 2030.

WHO target

For his part, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Medical Director of Caritas Christi Hospital, Dr Lawrence Kumi, explained that the WHO aimed to eliminate cervical cancer, including 90 per cent vaccination coverage, and 90 per cent of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15.

He also explained that it is aimed at screening 70 per cent of women with a high-performance test by age 35 and again by age 45, as well as 90 per cent of women with precancer treated and 90 per cent of women with invasive cancer managed.

Dr Kumi added that globally, significant progress had been made, as over 140 countries, including 28 in the WHO African Region, had introduced HPV vaccination into their routine immunisation programmes.