Journalists/Community Health Workers trained on Cervical Cancer Awareness/Reporting by CBCHS/CAMASEJ Bamenda!

​CBCHS, CAMASEJ Bamenda Train Journalists, Community Health Workers on Cervical Cancer Awareness/Reporting!


By Ruth Che Wachong 


The Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) has trained some members of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) Bamenda branch, and Community Health workers on Cervical Cancer Awareness and Reporting.

Organized under the Patronage of the Ministry of Health and National Committee for the fight against cancer in Cameroon, the training was organized as part of activities to commemorate the National Cervical Cancer Awareness Month which comes up every January.

Participants at the Workshop


Addressing participants during the one day workshop, Assistant Professor of Reproductive Health and Deputy Director at the CBCHS, Dr Manga Simon says Cervical cancer is deadly and claimed the lives of more than 300,000 women in 2018.

Dr Manga Simon
Assistant Professor of Reproductive Health/Deputy Director CBCHS

“Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer worldwide and leading cause of death in most developing countries Cervical cancer is a preventable desease and can be eliminated. That is why WHO in 2020 launched a strategy called 90/70 to eliminate Cervical Cancer worldwide. We therefore need to vaccinate our children both boys and girls, 9 to 14 years and women from 35 years and above should do their screening regularly.Cervical cancer is a call for concern in Cameroon and other low and middle income countries where a good number of cases are reported on daily basis"

Dr Manga


Speaking on the causes of Cervical Cancer, Dr Manga says;

“Cervical Cancer is caused by the Human Papilloma virus (HPV) which is prevalent worldwide. There exist two types of HPV, the Low and High Risk types. The Low risk type donnot cause cancer but may cause other conditions like genital wats. High risk types on the other hand cause not only cervical cancer but also cancer of the vagina, vulver, anus and throat. There are soo many tests for Cervical Cancer but the most recommended by WHO is the HPV testing"


Talking on the Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer, Calvin Ngalla, of the CBCHS Women’s Health Program revealed that Cervical Cancer is a non communicable disease that could take up to 15 years before symptoms start to show.

“Type 26 of the HPV virus is the most dangerous and has no cure. Unfortunately we still have soo many cases of cervical cancer related deaths because of lack of trained personnel and limited diagnosis and treatment facilities in the country”

Calvin Ngalla.

Calvin Ngalla
CBCHS Women's Health Program

The Executive Director and Health Advocate at Humanity at Heart International, Mayaah Eveline says poor awareness, fear and stigma, late diagnosis, limited access to health care among others have increased mortality rates in Cameroon as a result of cervical cancer.  She believes the Media being the fourth arm of Government has a vital role as far as Cervical cancer elimination is concerned.

“The Media can play a role in the elimination of cervical cancer by raising awareness and advocating for availability and affordability of quality cervical cancer screening kits and treatment.

Let’s encourage women to have themselves screened and also bring their children for screening because early diagnosis can be handled”

Mayaah Evelin
Executive Director/ Health Advocate, Humanity at Heart International.

Prices for cervical cancer screenings at CBCHS stand at 4,000FRS in Bamenda, and 3,500FRS in Kumbo and While HPV testing is done at 7,500 at CBCHS Hospitals in the North West Region.

According to statistics published by the Ministry of Health in 2023, Cameroon has a population of 8.02 million women aged 15 years and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Current estimates indicate that every year 2770 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 1787 die from the disease. 49% of patients are female and 51% males. 12% of patients are less than 20 years old and 60% are between 40 and 70 years have cancer of the cervix. These statistics have shown that Cervical cancer is a threat to both women and men and must be eliminated from society.



Published by UPFRONT

January 2024

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