HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

In over 125 countries around the world, the vaccine to prevent HPV has been approved for medical use. This vaccine prevents HPV strains 16 and 18, which are the underlying causes of cervical cancer in women. Unfortunately, developing nations such as Mali do not have the same access to this vaccine as other countries do. Cervical cancer is the most common and most fatal cancer type for Malian women, and could be prevented with access to HPV vaccination.

GAIA Vaccine Foundation works to prevent HPV and the development of cervical cancer by educating teens in the Teen Peer Education program on how they can protect themselves. We also provide cervical cancer screenings free of charge at Hope Center Clinic. From January through March 2023, 683 women have been screened for cervical cancer at the clinic. 

GAIA Vaccine Foundation is actively working to increase the distribution of the HPV vaccines in order to minimize the number of women who are afflicted with cervical cancer. This process can be expedited through educating communities, as well as your generous donations. With a contribution of $10, you would be providing a cervical cancer screening for one woman. For a donation of $15, you would be providing treatment for one woman with precancerous lesions. For a donation for $25, you would be providing supplies for the cervical cancer screenings of five women. We thank you for your continuous donations, as we work towards eliminating the presence of HPV caused cervical cancer in women in Mali.

HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, which is one of the most common and the most fatal cancers among Malian women. However, with a vaccination that blocks HPV strains 16 and 18, (the two that cause 70% of cervical cancer diagnoses), the number of Malian women diagnosed with cervical cancer as a consequence of HPV will greatly diminish. This vaccination is already approved in 125 countries, yet sadly, in developing nations such as Mali, access to the vaccine is much more difficult. 

Few women in Mali know the impact of receiving a cervical exam yearly, and with increased access, these exams would greatly diminish the number of women who experience cervical cancer. While vaccination and educational campaigns may face resistance in local communities, GAIA Vaccine Foundation’s HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa prints “story-telling cloths' ' to ease information into local communities. 

This project works to increase access and distribution of the HPV vaccine throughout local communities in order to decrease the mortality rate of cervical cancer among Malian women. In the year 2022, GAIA Vaccine Foundation was able to provide cervical cancer screenings to 4,066 women. 

By continuing to support this ongoing program, you would be providing the foundation for more communities to receive HPV vaccinations as well as preventative cervical exams. With a donation of $10, you would be providing a story telling cloth as well as a cervical exam to one woman. For a donation of $15, you would be providing treatment for one woman facing precancerous lesions. With a donation of $25, you would be providing cervical cancer screenings to five women. We thank you for your continuous support, as we work to create more access to the HPV vaccine as well as cervical cancer screenings.