UICC World Cancer Congress 2006

Objective: The objectives of the project were to create an awareness of cervical cancer, to teach primary health care givers the technique of obtaining pap smears and to encourage uptake of cervical cancer screening among rural previously unscreened population.

Methods: The Rotary Club of Asokoro, Abuja Nigeria undertook to mount a cervical cancer prevention campaign as its project in its charter year. A cervical cancer update training workshop was held for health workers from all parts of Abuja. There was an awareness symposium attended by top government functionaries including the wife of the Nigerian president leading other women interest groups. A team comprising a gynaecologist and a nurse then undertook on site training of primary health workers to perform pelvic examinations and obtain pap smears. This team was preceded by a mobilisation team who had enlisted the women through support of the village heads and market leaders. The smears were read at the laboratory of the National Hospital. Women with cytological abnormalities were transported to the hospital for Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP). Women with invasive cancers were treated at the hospital at Rotary negotiated discounts.

Results: There were about one thousand participants at the awareness symposium. The update workshop recorded 65 participants. Out of 862 women screened from 8 centres, 18(2.1%) were unsatisfactory for diagnosis, 54 were diagnosed to have Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN), 36 (4.2%) of which had LEEP after colposcopy. Two patients who had invasive cancer had radiotherapy.

The results indicate a positive response to culture sensitive screening practices.