by By Elijah Ugani
As part of the one-year anniversary of the launch of the Global Strategy on the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, First Ladies Against Cancer (FLAC) is organized Town Hall Meetings in their various states to secure the buy-in, consent and readiness of stakeholders for piloting a vaccination programme for girls between the ages of 9 – 14.
In Cross River State, Her Excellency, Dr. Linda Ayade held a Town Hall Meeting on the 29th November, 2021 at Holy Child Secondary School, Diamond Hill, Calabar with stakeholders drawn from the State Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency. Others were Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA), Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), pharmaceutical companies and other big organizations interested in carrying out Corporate Social Responsibility, traditional rulers, parents and young girls within the target age group.
After the 3-hour Town Hall Meeting which held at the Holy Child Secondary School, Calabar, the following resolutions were reached:
To sustain community focused efforts in improving awareness of HPV and cervical cancer in Cross River State.
To contribute to the improvement of access to cervical cancer prevention services in the state including vaccination and referrals.
To expand coverage and support existing interventions to reach more women and girls.
To provide support for legal issues in women’s health including gender-based violence.
To support community engagement activities and encourage women participation in cervical cancer prevention intervention.
Increasing cancer awareness activities in the Mediatrix school-based clubs.
To become active advocates against cervical cancer and HPV.
