The Ministry of Health says 233 women underwent VIA screening for cervical cancer during a week of awareness activities held from January 14-18.
Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran said that the turnout for the execution and response to the exercise was excellent. He also noted that it has helped to reduce the stigma that used to prevail about cancer, according to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release. The screening exercise, using the VIA-Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid method was also taken to several entities including Qualfon, Ashmins, Guyana Revenue Authority, Bank of Guyana, Parliament Office and the Guyana Defence Force.
Eight per cent of the women screened tested positive and were treated immediately while 0.01 per cent had suspected cases of cancer. The latter group was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for further assessment. One hundred and fifty women also benefited from sensitisation sessions, GINA said. According to Dr Ramsaran, several years ago Yvette Irving conducted a study which indicated that cervical cancer might be more prevalent among the Amerindian population.
“It was not a peer review[ed] study, but at least it stimulated interest and since then I have taken special interest in this and we have also taken a new approach where we recruit unorthodox role models to promote the fight against cervical cancer such as models and fashion designers,” he said.
GINA said the use of the VIA method has proven over time to be cost effective, timely and convenient as the service can be taken to the people instead of the people going to the health facility. The minister recalled that last year the HPV vaccine was introduced and administered to girls between the ages of 11-13 years. “This vaccine adds to the stock of available antigens in Guyana, its impact will be evident in a number [of] years when the incidence of cervical cancer would have been reduced,” he explained.
According to GINA, the fight against cancer is in tandem with focus being placed on reducing the incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, pulmonary conditions including asthma.
