The federal government, in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders, will soon launch an initiative called ‘Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCIN)’.
PECCIN is an initiative of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) established to accelerate implementation of the World Health Organisation’s 90-70-90 targets in Nigeria.
According to the statement signed yesterday by the chairperson, media and communications, National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination, Chief(Mrs) Moji Makanjuola, it aims to catalyse multi-sectoral action for preventing, screening and treating cervical cancer through sustained coordination, resource mobilization, and service delivery scale-up.
The launch of the initiative slated for June 3, 2025 will be flagged off by the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.
The first lady had earlier reaffirmed her commitment to the fight against cervical cancer through the donation of N1 billion to the task force from the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) and former minister of health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, the objectives of PECCIN are to drive sub-national government —led coordinated expansion of cervical cancer elimination activities and foster multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration.
PECCIN members are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, World Health Organisation (WHO), National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), NHIA, NPHCDA, Clinton Health Alliance Initiative (CHAI), Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN)and the the Gates Foundation.
According to him, 60 million women in Nigeria are at risk of developing cervical cancer and approximately 22 women die daily from this preventable and treatable disease in the country.
He further stated that in 2020, WHO launched the cervical cancer elimination initiative — the first global commitment to eliminate cancer and set a target date of 2030, the strategy is based on three pillars of 90-70-90: – Primary prevention through HPV vaccination and Secondary prevention through early screening And access to early Cancer treatment .”
