Bente Mikkelsen: An absolute honour to have met Zambia’s Minister of Health, Sylvia T. Masebo
Bente Mikkelsen, Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Department at the
“It was an absolute honour to have met Zambia’s Minister of Health, Sylvia T. Masebo. We had such an engaging conversation together about cervical cancer elimination in Zambia. It’s so sad to learn from her that in 2022, 3,640 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer and 2,285 died from the disease in the same year in the country.
The good need is that the Honorable Minister and the Zambia Government is committed to eliminating cervical cancer and reach the target of 90% of Women vaccinated, 70% screened, and 90% treated.
Zambia has been making remarkable strides in their HPV vaccination campaigns, integrating screening programmes into existing HIV programme and Primary Health Care Facilities.
In 2021, Zambia started to use HPV DNA test to screen for cervical cancer and are moving towards a one shop stop screen and treat that will help women. I was very impressed how were supporting countries through South- South Collaboration and training doctors, nurses and midwifes.
During my brief visit, our team and I were received warmly, special thanks to Nathan Bakyaita. We talked to nurses and midwives in local healthcare facilities, discussed with all the key stakeholders from government to partners.
I also saw Karen Nakawala again, a cervical cancer survivor from Zambia that founded the Teal Sisters and who decided to raise her voice and became an amazing global advocate on cervical cancer.”
Source: Bente Mikkelsen/LinkedIn
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