Zambia and the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday pledged to strengthen cooperation in the fight against cervical cancer in the southern African country.
Sylvia Masebo, Zambia’s minister of health, and Bente Mikkelsen, director of noncommunicable diseases at the WHO, made the commitment during a meeting.
Masebo said Zambia appreciates the continued support it has received in the fight against noncommunicable diseases, and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the global strategy toward the elimination of cervical cancer.
She said Zambia has embarked on a multi-sectoral approach to fight cervical cancer, adding that the country currently has one of the highest cervical cancer rates in the world.
She said the government is trying to fight the disease through a three-pronged approach of prevention, screening, and treatment, while vaccination programs have been introduced for girls aged nine to 10.
For her part, the WHO official said her visit to Zambia was to get an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in the country so that the organization could have a clear picture of how to strengthen cooperation.
She said the purpose of the visit was to gather information to be presented at a meeting with global partners on what Zambia needs in terms of support.
Mikkelsen, however, commended Zambia for its efforts to combat the disease and its decision to adopt a multi-sectoral approach, adding that cooperation is needed to achieve meaningful results.
