-to boost Cervical Cancer screening initiative

THE Ministry of Health’s cervical cancer screening programme which is set to be expanded this year, on Friday, received a boost with the donation of equipment to the tune of US$100,000 from the 16th Chinese Medical Brigade that is presently in Guyana.

The equipment and reagents were handed over at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s resource centre by the medical brigade to the Ministry of Health and is expected to be distributed between the GPHC, the New Amsterdam Hospital and the Linden Hospital Complex.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, expressed gratitude for the timely donation just as the country has set out on an aggressive programme this year to increase early detection and prevention action for women across Guyana in relation to cervical cancer.

This donation, he said, will aid in the enhancement of the work that the ministry intends to do and will address deficits that exist.

However, Dr Anthony added that health authorities here have recognised that cancer is a problem in Guyana and as such are working to establish holistic cancer programmes in this regard.

As part of this, he added that Guyana is aiming to have 70 per cent of the women who are of eligible ages screened for cervical cancer. While Guyana has done screening traditionally using pap smears and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) methods, this donation will add another facet of screening to the public sector.

“For a long time in the public sector we did not have access to HPV tests so this donation is helping us for the first time to be able to have HPV tests introduced in the public sector,” he said, while adding that this means that people will be able to access these tests for free.
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan, during her remarks, stated that just as Guyana is implementing an action plan to eliminate cervical cancer, the same is ongoing in China.

She added that the donation includes, testing equipment, reagents and surgical equipment for the further treatment of cervical cancer.

Against this backdrop, the Ambassador took the opportunity to encourage women across Guyana to participate in screening to know their status and be healthy.

In January of this year, the health minister announced an ambitious plan on behalf of the Government of Guyana aimed at eradicating cervical cancer. This came with the announcement that some $3.8 billion was set aside in the national budget for a targetted cervical cancer programme.