PROJECT CERVICARE: AN APPROACH TO CERVICAL CANCER AWARENESS

NEPAL HEALTH CORPS – COMS (2022-23)

Background

This project was conducted focusing on providing awareness to the women of reproductive age group about the prevalence, early signs, methods of prevention- primary as well as secondary, and treatment methods.

Project Cervicare was aimed at delivering cervical cancer awareness to females ofreproductive age group in Nepal. This project was piloted in January 2021, by theteam of NHC,KUSMS. For its first edition, the project focused on members ofRukmini Foundation, an organization aimed at uplifting the status of women inNepal via quality education, mentoring and quality health care. Since then, variousother editions of the project have been conducted in different parts of the country,through different approaches like awareness programs, screening programs, etc.This year, celebrating cervical cancer awareness month in January, the project wascarried out in different parts of the country by the NHC ambassador committee ofvarious medical institutions.

This edition of the project in Chitwan was carried out among the women’s group of Yagyapuri, Bharatpur-4, Chitwan, led by the ambassador committee of NHC- COMS.

This project was carried out with the belief that it would ultimately be of help not only in achieving WHO Cervical cancer elimination strategy targets for 2030, but would also make a difference in the lives of many women who are at risk of cervical cancer.

Rationale

In Nepal, Cervical Cancer is the most common malignancy in females. According to WHO, in Nepal, the crude cervical cancer incidence is 14.2 per 100,000 women(2020), and age-standardized cervical cancer incidence is 16.4 per 100,000 women(2020). The cumulative risk of cervical cancer is at 1.8%. Despite the easy preventability and detectability, 50% of those diagnosed with this cancer face death. We in NHC believe that one of the most effective ways to address the problem is through awareness programs that define cervical cancer, its preventive methods, screening options and treatment options to all girls and women of reproductive age group. As firm believers of the belief that Cervical Cancer is the one cancer that can be eliminated (WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy 2020), Project Cervicare : An approach to cervical cancer awareness was initiated.

Objectives

• To conduct an awareness workshop on reproductive health and cervical cancer for
  women in the reproductive age group.
• To promote the measures of primary prevention of cervical cancer.
• To link the women at risk to appropriate screening facilities.

Project Activities

Target population: Women belonging to reproductive age group, who were residents of Yagyapuri, Chitwan.
Location: Yagyapuri, Bharatpur-4, Chitwan.
Date: January 30, 2023

An Awareness program focusing on cervical cancer, its causes, preventive measures, screening facilities and linkage of women to appropriate services was carried. It was facilitated out by Dr. Rashik Neupane, Resident doctor of OBGYN at COMS, Bharatpur.

Various Audio-visual media was also used to make the awareness session more interesting and effective. The program was made interactive by including various games and icebreaker sessions. Since most of the women who were attending belonged to the perimenopausal age group, a small awareness session on menopause and perimenopausal symptoms was also carried out. A total of 70 women participated in the program.

Results

All the women participated in the awareness session verbalized understanding of cervical cancer, its causes, preventive measures and screening centres. All the women were also positive regarding getting themselves screened regarding cervical cancer in the health care centre.

Budget

Estimated budget: Rs.5000
Total expenditure: Rs.5320

Annex