Sofiat Akinola: Growing closer to a world without cervical cancer
Sofiat Akinola, Director at Roche Diagnostics, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Growing closer to a world without cervical cancer.
This is a reminder today of why we must eliminate cervical cancer. While sitting at a session at the International Papillomavirus Congress last week when my phone buzzed, I received devastating news: a colleague lost her battle with breast cancer. The cruel irony wasn’t lost on me – discussing a preventable cancer while mourning one that took a beloved colleague too soon.
This is why the World Health Organization’s cervical cancer elimination strategy matters:
- 600,000 women diagnosed annually
- 90% of deaths occur in low-income countries
- We have all tools to prevent these deaths
- Yet implementation remains slow
Today marks 4 years since WHO launched its global strategy for cervical cancer elimination. This isn’t just another health initiative. It’s personal, behind the statistics are real lives – mothers, sisters, and friends.
The emphasis at the Congress IPVC2024 was clear: a comprehensive approach is crucial, moving beyond just vaccination to screening and effective treatment.
The path to elimination is clear:
- HPV vaccination for young girls
- Regular screening for women with high-performance test
- Effective treatment for those who need it
Today, we can eliminate cervical cancer. Let’s honor the WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Day by accelerating our efforts.
Together, we can create a world where no woman or person with a cervix dies from this preventable disease. No one should ever die from a preventable disease.
What barriers do you see in your country preventing faster progress toward cervical cancer elimination?”
For more posts like this, visit oncodaily.com.
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