By Ifeoma Ikem
An non governmental organization (NGO) EfferentCaresInitiatives, has kick off free cervical cancer programs in six designed health centres within Lagos metropolis.Women in Lagos state will be opportune to get continuous access to free cervical cancer screening and treatment options within their community health facilities regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds. The women are expected to converge in 6 designated community screening centers in Lagos State from April 2019 through July 2019, a program organized by efferentCARES Initiative, a social impact non-governmental organization dedicated to improving health delivery and access through innovative solutions across Africa, in collaboration with the other stakeholders. Speaking about the program, Founder, efferentCARES Initiative Ezinne Anyanwu, said the ScreenHERTM program was launched in 2018, an initiative aimed at increasing cervical cancer awareness among women.Anyanwu added that since inception, efferentCARES has provided access to cervical cancer education, screening, and treatment to over 3000+ women, and trained 150 health care providers on quality cervical cancer screening practices using innovative technology that allows for better visualization and assessment of medical cases. According to her, the free cervical cancer is geared at increasing awareness, visibility for the cause and most importantly reduce the number of women who die each year as a result of late detection from cervical cancer in Nigeria. Anyanwu stated that in Nigeria, a total of 26 women die daily as a result of cervical cancer, with 14,089 new cases diagnosed annually, while 64% of those women die as a result of late detection.She explained further that the mobilization and sensitization drive is aimed at impacting over 3000+ women in 4 months. Anyanwu acknowledged that women make incredible impacts at all levels of development in the nation, either at home, as entrepreneurs , in the corporate world, down to the grassroots and it is therefore a responsibility for all stakeholders to ensure that her women are healthy.She also encouraged women to come out for the screening and assess care at their convenience at the different centers, which include: • Reginal Mundi Catholic Hospital, Mushin, Lagos, Event date: April 24th-25th • Rivet Specialist Hospital – Ejigbo, Lagos, Event date: April 26th – 27th • St. Timothy Catholic Hospital – Ojodu Berger, Event date: May 16th to 18th • St Leo Catholic Medical Centre, Ikeja Lagos • St. Timothy Catholic Hospital – Ojodu Berger, Event date: May 16th to 18th • St. Leo Catholic Hospital – Ikeja, Lagos o Event date: June 2019 • St. Raphael Divine Mercy Specialist Hospital – Ikorodu, Lagos, Event date: June 2019 To kick off the 4 months program, major highlights of activities include the ScreenHER WALK on April 20th, 2019, Press conference and Community Stakeholders forum.