–outlines target for greater HPV vaccine coverage, other crucial objectives

IN a bid to provide a comprehensive framework in the fight against cervical cancer, the Ministry of Health (MoH) on Friday launched its action plan for the elimination of the disease, which is one of the leading causes of death among women in Guyana.

Spearheaded by the ministry and supported by partners, including the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), the action plan charts a clear path, from 2024 to 2030, to significantly reduce and ultimately eliminate the impact of cervical cancer on women in the country.

Delivering the feature address at the launch of the milestone plan on Friday, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said that while discussions on various cancer types have taken place, a comprehensive programme has been lacking for cervical cancer.

“So, what we are launching today is that strategy, from prevention right up to treatment or treatment of complications,” he said during the launch at Pegasus Corporate Suites, Georgetown.
Starting with prevention, the minister indicated that the use of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines could help in this regard, and noted that while this was initially introduced here just around 2010, there were various challenges faced in relation to the coverage.

He pointed out that prevention efforts will see a concerted push to increase HPV vaccination coverage, targeting a 90 per cent vaccination rate among girls aged nine to 15.
However, Dr. Anthony explained that new guidelines by multiple public health agencies have indicated that HPV vaccines can also be given to persons between the 16 and 25 age group and the 26 to 45 age group. As such, he said that these categories will also be targetted now.

The minister said that dispelling myths and misinformation surrounding the vaccine is paramount to achieving this goal, with plans to extend vaccination efforts to older age groups.
“We need to come together to ensure that we fight off these myths and fake news that are being circulated about the vaccine and I think once we can do that, we would see the percentages increase,” the minister said.

Further, he mentioned that as part of this comprehensive action plan, focus will also be placed on the screening aspect, and the further introduction of additional screening methods in the public health sector.

Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health Programme Dr. Lachmie Lall, while giving an overview of the elimination of the cervical cancer programme, said that the plan was designed to ensure that more women in the country survive cervical cancer, and can continue to lead productive lives.

“This strategic plan is well rounded and ambitious, with a multifaceted approach that has the potential to significantly reduce and eliminate the burden of disease, and to improve the outcomes for Guyanese,” she said.

Dr. Lall related that the overarching goal is to significantly reduce the mortality, morbidity and disability caused by cervical cancer among Guyanese women.
Among the five strategic actions, part of the plan is to treat 90 per cent of all women with precancerous lesions, and 90 per cent of all women with a confirmed cancer diagnosis. Additionally, it aims to improve the quality of life of women with end-stage disease.

Also, paramount is the provision of a comprehensive communication strategy, which will improve awareness about cervical cancer, including information on prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.

This year, the government has set aside some $3.8 billion for a targetted cervical cancer programme which would see an increase in early detection and preventative action for women across the country.

This budgetary allocation serves as a specific intervention to ramp up capabilities to detect and fight against cervical cancer, and also signals the intention to expand the work that the government has been doing in the areas of women’s health and cancer screening in Guyana.