AfricaPress-Tanzania: HIGH Court Judge Lucia Kairo has appealed to women nationwide to turn up for early checkups of cervical cancer.
“More efforts are needed to ensure no woman dies from cervical cancer, the leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths among women. Each year, about 7,300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, while more than half of these women die as they are diagnosed at a late stage of the disease,” she said.
She noted that at least 41 women out of 131 who turned up for check-up on International Women’s Day held at regional level in Kabindi Ward, Biharamulo District, were found living with cervical cancer. This was equivalent to 31.3 per cent.
She emphasised the importance of screening for early detection of cervical cancer which could be treated and urged parents and guardians not to miss out on the great opportunity of having their children immunised.
Ms Kairo reassured members of the public that the vaccine was safe and approved by the government and WHO and would be provided free of charge at all health facilities.
However, she noted that to date the regional vaccination average against cervical cancer was far below the national average set at 80 per cent with the regional average ranging between 53 and 64 per cent.
She noted that malnutrition was a major public health problem in developing countries, including Tanzania, contributing up to 50 per cent of under-five mortality.
“Good health lays the foundation for vibrant and productive communities, stronger economies, safer nations and a better world.”
“Concerted effort is needed to ensure that unnecessary deaths resulting from under nutrition are stopped. Every year, that is around 3.1 million deaths of children under the age of five are due to under nutrition while globally, 161 million chronically undernourished children are not getting the right nutrients and care at the right time,” she said.
Judge Kairo further revealed that the prevalence of stunting in Kagera Region was 39 per cent above the national average which stood at 34 per cent.
Other regions with a high rate of stunting included Iringa (41.6 per cent), Geita had 40.5 per cent, Rukwa was 56.3 per cent, while Njombe had 49.4 per cent.
Causes of malnutrition include inadequate or excess dietary intake, infectious diseases, inadequate maternal and childcare and poor access to health services, unhealthy environment and poverty.
Individuals who are vulnerable to malnutrition are children under five years of age, women of reproductive age especially pregnant and lactating women and adolescent girls due to their physiological needs for growth and reproduction.
