Read

Scaling Up Cervical Cancer Prevention

To save women from dying of cervical cancer, we must dramatically scale up efforts in cervical cancer prevention.  This will require the full...

To save women from dying of cervical cancer, we must dramatically scale up efforts in cervical cancer prevention.  This will require the full engagement of all sectors, both public and private. We recently met with Dr. Groesbeck Parham, Co-Director of the Cervical Cancer Prevention Program at the Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia (CIDRZ), and discussed some of opportunities for the private sector in combatting cervical cancer in Zambia and beyond. “Private companies can easily help in the fight against cervical cancer simply by offering cervical cancer screening to their employees and as well to women in the surrounding communities.   Keeping a workforce healthy is not only is good for health, it’s good for business”, said Dr. Parham. The role of the private sector is so important that Zambian First Lady, Dr. Christine Kaseba, a gynecologist, has called on the business community to join the government in the fight against cervical cancer just as it has done in other areas.  At the Forum of African First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer in Zambia in July, the First Lady said, “The corporate world has done well in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Our challenge now is to help the Ministry of Health to bring services closer to the people, by integrating the screening of breast and cervical cancer into our workplace HIV and AIDS policies.” Indeed, the government needs the help of the corporate and private sectors.  Zambia has the second highest rate of cervical cancer in the world.  The government is currently providing cervical cancer screening services in 17 of it more than 1400 health care facilities.  Efforts are underway to scale up these clinical services with the support of the Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon initiative and all sectors have important roles to play. Cervical cancer screening is elegantly simple.  Precancerous lesions of the cervix can be diagnosed by a trained nurse using only household vinegar.  In most cases, when a precancerous lesion is found, it can be easily removed by a trained worker with cold probe to freeze it off. The Bush Institute is committed to saving lives by spotlighting and advocating for sustainable health solutions and systems.  Through low costs solutions, like those available for cervical cancer, partnerships like Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon and the full engagement of all sectors – government, corporate, NGO, faith-based, and community-based organizations – we may win the fight against cervical cancer.  

Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is an initiative of the George W. Bush Institute, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)  to expand the availability of cervical and breast cancer screening and treatment for women at risk in developing nations in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon corporate partners include BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Bristol-Myers Squibb, Caris Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, IBM, Merck and QIAGEN. This post was co-authored by Eric G. Bing, the Director of Global Health, and Suraj Patel, an Assistant Researcher in Global Health at the George W. Bush Institute.