Vihiga county government in partnership with Cure Cervical cancer organization and Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, have set up a free cervical screening and treatment outreach program for women aged 27 to 49 years at Kegoye Friends Church in Vihiga County.
During the exercise, at least 30 percent of women tested positive for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) from the 18,000 totally screened.
The county governor Dr. Wilber Ottichilo thanked the two organization for what they have done and continue to do for the women in Vihiga county, through screening and treatment for those testing positive for HPV.
“A total of 18,000 women have been screened since the launch of this exercise with those found positive with the virus having been treated,” said Ottichilo.
The governor said the unique thing about the program was that the screening was being done at the village level and results got almost immediately, adding that such a process would be more complicated and expensive for one going through the normal hospital process.
He added that all women in the county would be able to access the same services, saying after finishing screenings at Hamisi sub-county, they would move to Emuhaya sub-county and late come back to Vihiga sub-county.
The governor admitted that as a County they have no financial capacity and equipment to provide such services, but assured that they had now put adequate measures in place to pick up from where the Bristol Foundation would have left off, once they finish their objective works in Vihiga.
“I would like to also thank the county health officers, especially the Community Health Promoters(CHPs), who continue to work hard to ensure that this program is a success,” said Ottichilo.
“As a county, we launched a program that would deal with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s) that would ensure health centres are in every ward to deal with the NCD’s and also medicine that would help with the treatment, I therefore urge all residents to get tested for such diseases and access medicine for treatment in the respective health centre,” explained Ottichilo.
He urged everyone to enroll for the Social Health Authority insurance in order to access treatment at various health facilities and hospitals in the county.
The President of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Catharine Grimes thanked the women who had accessed the services for being open and working with the CHPs in order to take action for their health.
Grimes also thanked the men present at the event for supporting women’s health, while also acknowledging the county leadership for providing an opportunity for women to access education, screening and treatment of cervical cancer.
Speaking to Kenya News Agency during the event, one of the women who turned up for cervical cancer screening, Josephine Savulane said that she was grateful to the county government for bringing lifesaving cervical cancer prevention and intervention at the door step of Kegoye women.
Savulane noted that cervical cancer screening is expensive in hospitals and many of them could not afford it.
“Cancer screening is normally expensive in hospitals, but through the county leadership we can now get free cervical cancer screening, we are very grateful,” remarked Savulane.
Dorcus Atieno, a cancer survivor who acknowledged the local CHPs for walking with her through the tough journey until she got better.
The County Executive Committee Member for Health Nicholas Kitungulu commended CHPs for the good work they were doing, while encouraging more women to do cervical cancer screening for early prevention and intervention.
By Yvonne Misango and Florence Oteng’o
