Youth Alliance Against Cancer has encouraged girls in Karonga District to go for cervical cancer screening to know their status and access vaccination. On Monday the organisation engaged girls from Karonga and Nyanje community day secondary schools (CDSSs) as well as Karonga Teacher Training College on how to prevent the disease. The organisation’s consultant Spain Chimaliro said they took the campaign to Karonga because it is one of the districts with a high rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), human papilloma virus (HPV) and sexually active women unscreened for cervical cancer.
He said: “We conducted a similar awareness campaign in 2023 in secondary schools and we noted gaps in implementing health education among the youth. “For example, in 2022, the district registered 4 689 STI cases with 1 540 being the youth while in 2023, there were 5 415 STI cases with the youth recording 1 814. “In 2024, there were 4 324 STI cases and the youth recorded 1 395.
Among these cases, there were also those for HPV.” Chimaliro has since called on organisations and well-wishers to join the initiative, saying this time around, the target should be youths in hard-to-reach areas. Karonga CDSS Form Four learner Gift Kumwenda said they learned more about HPV. “We have been encouraged to go for cervical cancer screening at any hospital.
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Above all, we have been asked to abstain from sexual relationships as a preventive measure,” she said. In an interview, Karonga District Hospital clinician Kepson Kamanga, who was the master trainer, said the sensitisation campaign on HPV and cervical cancer was timely. “We expect change and that the girls will take the message to their parents to go to health facilities for screening to know their status,” he said. The activity was supported by US-based Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer Organisation.
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