The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, says cervical cancer is both preventable and treatable, and no Nigerian woman should lose her life to it.
Salako made the declaration on Thursday at the flag-off of a cervical cancer screening programme for the South-East in Owerri, Imo State. The National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination, working with the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, organised the event. The minister stressed that every death from cervical cancer is preventable and called on communities, religious institutions, and other groups to embrace regular screening and awareness campaigns.
Nigeria has vaccinated about 15 million women against the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer, over the past three years, Salako disclosed. He said this figure is three times what the entire African continent achieved in the same period. The minister said Imo State was chosen to host the programme because of the commitment of the state's First Lady, Chioma Uzodimma, and the administration's investments in healthcare.
The Director-General of NICRAT, Usman Malami Aliyu, said cervical cancer still weighs heavily on Nigerian women despite being highly preventable and treatable when caught early. Late diagnosis remains common because of poor awareness, limited access to services, and weak service delivery in underserved areas, he said. NICRAT plans to screen at least 10,000 women in Imo State and strengthen the state's ability to make routine cervical cancer screening a permanent fixture in the health system.
Aliyu said the initiative aligns with the World Health Organization's 90-70-90 global strategy for cervical cancer elimination, which aims to build a sustainable early detection system across communities. The strategy targets 90 percent vaccination of girls, 70 percent screening of women, and 90 percent treatment of those found with the disease.
Chioma Uzodimma, the Imo State Governor's wife, called cervical cancer one of the greatest threats to women's health. She thanked the Federal Government for selecting Imo State for the programme and urged women to use the free screening services. She asked women to encourage others to get screened as well.
Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma called for stronger awareness campaigns to reach more women with vaccination and screening services. Both services are free and carry no adverse effects, he said. He asked traditional rulers, women groups, and community leaders to help spread the message in their communities, saying early screening and detection are the keys to curing cervical cancer.
The programme will continue across the South-East region with plans to establish screening centres in all states. NICRAT will train healthcare workers and provide equipment to support the initiative. Women aged 25 to 65 are being encouraged to register for free screening at designated health facilities.
