JANUARY is recognised worldwide as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. This observance is aimed at reducing cervical cancer rates across the globe, thereby possibly saving the lives of the more than one million women who develop the disease every year; this results in over a quarter of a million deaths worldwide. Cervical cancer is a type that is entirely preventable, and, if prevention fails, it can be completely cured if detected in the early stages. Therefore, the government’s decision to fully engage in an all-out campaign against the disease is a sensible way to make maximum use of Guyana’s resources, and is evidence of the administration’s commitment to improving the quality of life of Guyanese women.

Cervical cancer starts in the cells of the cervix, which is the opening leading to a woman’s uterus. When cervical cancer first appears, there are no symptoms and the woman is entirely unaware that a deadly disease process has started in her body. Later, as the cancer grows, there may be pelvic pain and bleeding. As such, women should be tested for the disease regularly, so that it can be caught and treated early. The most common screening test is the visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) test. This test can detect abnormal cells even before cancer develops; doctors call such cells pre-cancerous . If such cells are found, treatment can begin immediately, and the cancerous process can be stopped dead in its tracks. This test is now available at all hospitals countrywide, since the administration introduced such testing in the last outstanding region, the Potaro-Siparuni (Region # 8) in early 2018.

The other most common test is the Pap test. European guidelines recommend that women begin Pap test screening for the disease between the ages of 20 and 30 years old. In the United States, screening is recommended from age 21; such screening should be repeated every three years.

Cervical cancer is entirely preventable, because it is caused by a class of viruses called Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV), and vaccines are available to prevent infection from those viruses. Some types of HPV do not cause any disease, some types may cause non-cancerous warts, and some types result in the deadly cervical cancer.

If a woman is not vaccinated she can become infected, usually through sexual intercourse with an infected male. Evidently, the more sexual partners a woman has, the greater are her chances of being infected. Once infected, cervical cancer can develop. An HPV-infected woman is more likely to develop cancer if she smokes or inhales second-hand smoke; if she uses oral contraceptives; if she has other sexually transmitted diseases; or if she has a weakened immune system due to HIV, malnutrition, or other factors.

Government has taken a decision to wage war on cervical cancer with emphases on prevention through education and vaccination, as well as early detection and treatment. President David Granger informed Guyanese of that decision in his address to the National Assembly at the 71st sitting of the 11th parliament on November 2, 2017.
The government has announced a three-pronged approach to the war against cervical cancer: VIA testing, Pap testing, and anti-HPV vaccination.

A former chief executive officer (CEO) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has said, “Cervical cancer is detrimental to health and there is a need for greater awareness, so that persons can work to ensure that they prevent themselves from getting cervical cancer through early detection and testing; and if they contract cancer that they

can be treated [and] their life [sic] can be saved.”
Presently, the Office of the First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger is collaborating with the Guyana Medical Relief and the Guyana Cancer Foundation, to provide access to early cancer-screening services to women in remote locations.

As Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and as government reiterates its commitment to improving the quality of life of women, the Guyana Cancer Foundation is offering free Pap tests throughout the month. At the same time, the national vaccination campaign continues under the purview of the Maternal and Child Health Department of the Ministry of Public Health. Government urges that parents of girls between the ages of nine and 16 years old take advantage of this preventive opportunity, which assures that when those girls develop into adult women, they will be immune from HPV and need not worry about cervical cancer