Cervical Cancer Prevention

Cervical Cancer Is Preventable. Let’s Catch It Early.

Screening access, vaccination awareness, and early detection support to protect women’s lives from a cancer we know how to stop.

Overview

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when caught early, yet it remains a leading cause of cancer death among Nigerian women. Most cases are linked to persistent infection with certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), and the majority are preventable through vaccination, regular screening, and timely treatment of pre-cancerous changes. Our Cervical Cancer Prevention Program exists to make sure that lack of awareness or access is never the reason a woman loses her life to this disease.

Why It Matters

Many women in the communities we serve have never had a cervical screening and may not know it exists, what HPV is, or that early cervical changes rarely cause noticeable symptoms. By the time symptoms appear, the disease has often progressed. Cultural stigma around gynecological exams, cost barriers, and limited availability of screening services in rural areas all compound the problem. Closing these gaps through education and accessible screening is one of the most direct ways we know to save women’s lives.

What We Do

• HPV & Cervical Cancer Education — Community talks and school, church, and market outreach explaining what HPV is, how cervical cancer develops, and why routine screening matters.
• Screening Access & Referrals — Connecting women with Pap smear and VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid) screening at partner clinics, and organizing dedicated screening days.
• HPV Vaccination Awareness — Encouraging vaccination for eligible age groups, correcting common misinformation, and connecting families to vaccination sites.
• Early Detection Support — Helping women understand their results and next steps, with referrals for treatment of pre-cancerous lesions.
• Survivor & Patient Support — Emotional and logistical support for women undergoing diagnosis or treatment, delivered in partnership with our Counseling & Psychosocial Support Program.
• Community Screening Drives — Periodic free or subsidized screening events brought directly to underserved areas.

Who We Serve

Women aged 21 and older, sexually active women of any age, mothers of adolescent daughters considering HPV vaccination, community health workers, and women who have recently received an abnormal result or diagnosis.

Our Approach

1. Inform — Explain HPV, cervical cancer, and screening in plain, respectful language.
2. Screen — Provide or refer women to accessible screening services.
3. Act Early — Support timely follow-up and treatment when results call for it.
4. Care — Stand alongside women emotionally throughout diagnosis and treatment.

Know your status. Protect your future.