Ghanaian NGO, Cervca is Real and its USA counterpart Cervical Cancer Awareness Prevention (CCAP) both not for profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and information on the dangers of cervical cancer have ended a four-day workshop to highlight on the need for cervical cancer prevention and responsiveness globally with the hope of promoting early screening for cervical cancer patients as well as making treatment accessible to all.
The workshop which took place at the Accra campus of Wisconsin International University College, Ghana brought together professional midwives from Central, Central Eastern and Greater Accra Regions to brainstorm on best practices and share ideas on preventive measures towards eradicating cervical cancer.
The goal is to prepare participants to confidently screen women at their respective institutions.
Co-founders of Cervical Cancer Awareness & Prevention (CCAP), Jillian Leaver and Hunter Ackerley, speaking to Wisconsin News intimated that cervical cancer is preventable and treatable even though it continues to kill many women, a reason for their decision to come all the way to Ghana to partner with Founder of ‘Cervca is Real’, Rosina Osabu, to increase awareness.
Rosina Osabu, who is also an alumnus of Wisconsin School of Nursing & Midwifery said she had the motivation to play her part in cervical cancer prevention when she discovered during her study in the university that cervical cancer is one of the most common cancer in women.
She stated that her NGO seeks to make screening easily accessible to women and also helping with the first step in treatment and preventing protocols which, is screening.
Cervical cancer occurs in the cervix of a woman (the entrance to the uterus from the vagina).
According to the World Health Organisation, ”almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact”. Although most infections with HPV resolve spontaneously and cause no symptoms, persistent infection can cause cervical cancer in women.
Rosina added that, when found early and adequately treated, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable types of cancer.
Jillian and Hunter also took time to tour the Accra campus of the Wisconsin International University College, Ghana where they expressed satisfaction at the facilities available especially the skills laboratory facility after which they commended the Management of University for investing in giving the students such great learning experience.
