Over 90,000 women screened for cervical cancer in Namibia in 2018-2022, official

WINDHOEK, Jan. 27 — Over 90,000 women were screened for cervical cancer in Namibia from 2018 to 2022, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services Ester Muinjangue said Friday.
The women were screened under a cervical cancer prevention program introduced in 2018 to cater to women living with HIV aged between 20 to 49 and HIV-negative women aged between 25 to 49, Muinjangue told a press briefing on the World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in Windhoek, the Namibian capital.
She said the program has maintained a treatment rate of 90 percent among women living with HIV, which is in line with World Health Organization recommendations.
“The commemoration of World Cervical Cancer Awareness Month aims to create awareness about the importance of and availability of cervical cancer screening and treatment services for women who are at risk,” Muinjangue said.
As part of the commemoration, Namibia is conducting cervical cancer screening sessions at all public health facilities across the country from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3, and the main activities, which include a march, will be held in the Zambezi region.
Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among women in Namibia.  (Xinhua)