A
‘Save my mother’ project has been launched by the First Lady of The Gambia,
which is out to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer among women in The
Gambia.
Such a project or campaign is highly appreciated much as it is essential and fundamental to the lives of women of this country, who are the direct victims of cervical cancer – a cancer arising from the cervix due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
“Cervical and breast cancers are two of the most common forms of cancers amongst Gambian women,” the First Lady said.
“Cervical cancer kills women in their prime – when they are still very productive members of our society. Sadly, this renders many children motherless, and motherless children, as we all know, are less likely to thrive and succeed in the world today.”
Statistics have it that 53,000 women in Africa die of cervical cancer every year, which is an average of 154 women per hour.
This is a serious loss to Africa in various forms, especially in terms of life, human resource, and the economy.
For these reasons, effective efforts are being made by state authorities, international health institutions, medical bodies and private institutions to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer among Gambian women.
It is in that same spirit the ‘Save My Mother’ project has come to inject more support, sensitization, health equipment, and other resources to meet the medical bill.
As part of the sensitization drive, the project is out to encourage women and educate them about the benefits of early detection of cervical cancer through screening, as a primary preventive measure.
Therefore, all women are advised to conduct regular check for such diseases as cervical and breast cancers, which are the most common among Gambian women.
It is also in similar vein that the First Lady decided to call on other corporate bodies and individuals to partner with the government in its quest to achieve a cervical cancer-free Gambia.
All hands are, therefore, needed on deck to fight cervical cancer and free women of this country from such a life-threatening disease.
“Yes, I have cancer and it might not go away, but I can still have a future because life goes on.”
Kris Carr
