Africa-Press – Tanzania. MORE than 600 women in Kagera region are set to be involved in a project to sensitize their fellow women living with HIV to test for cervical cancer by December this year.
Launching the initiative, the Director of Information and Advocacy from the Tanzania AIDS Commission (TACAIDS), Jumanne Isango, said cervical cancer was proved to be dangerous for women living with HIV.
“TACAIDS in collaboration with the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Organization (UN-WOMEN) is implementing a project to sensitize women, especially those living with HIV, to go for diagnostic test for cervical cancer in Kagera region, Bukoba District.
He said the project has started in rural Bukoba in five wards where they expect to reach out to 600 women by December this year who will be screening for cervical cancer.
Isango noted that there were already 25 women from the Women living with HIV in Kagera region (AMWAVU) who have been educated about the symptoms of cancer.
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Commissioner, Bukoba District Commissioner, Moses Machali said the government will ensure that the campaign is successful as they have been waiting for it for a long time.
“Tanzania has the highest number of cancer patients in the East African region while it is already noted that in Lake Region being the biggest problem, and the situation shows that people with HIV are at greater risk of contracting the disease,” said Machali.
On his part, Chief Executive Officer of AMWAVU NGO, which is the implementer of the project, Gasper Lutainulwa, said that they concentrated on the cervical cancer project because there is a strong link between the disease and HIV.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Safina Yuma said, although any woman is at risk of getting cervical cancer but those with HIV are at greater risk and asked them to go for testing as there are about 700 centres in the country that offer this screening service free of charge.
Mr Jacob Kayombo, AIDS and Gender Programme Coordinator from the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Programme (UN-WOMEN), said that based on information from the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, they have seen fit to contribute to the area of cervical cancer in mothers to help achieve the government’s efforts.
“We aim to contribute in government’s fight against cervical cancer. Kagera Region has been very cooperative as since we started communicating it has been guiding us and the process of making this campaign successful,” he commended.
