Physical Health Mali Project #7509

HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

by GAIA Vaccine Foundation

HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

Project Report | Jul 12, 2017
Protecting girls from cervical cancer in Bamako: Donation Matching Day!

By Eliza Squibb | Executive Director

We're all about girls!

In May and June, GAIA partnered with the National Center for Immunization (CNI) in Bamako to deliver the 2^nd round of HPV vaccination to girls in Bamako.

Thanks to your donations, GAIA was able support the vaccination of over 7,000 girls in Bamako neighborhoods! That's amazing!

12 neighborhood clinics participated in the event, and vaccinators hit the streets five days in a row to make sure all the girls who received their first dose also got the second; fully protecting them against multiple strains of cancer-causing HPV.

The campaign was a great success, and GAIA plans to continue working closely with the CNI as they develop and plan for national vaccination campaigns. We are particularly concerned about girls who might not be registered in schools, and may miss info sessions or vaccination days. However, GAIA has a plan to reach these girls:

By launching a community outreach initiative, GAIA plans to inform both girls and their mothers about cancer prevention options for both generations. Girls who may have missed the campaign will get vaccinated and their mothers will benefit from a free cervical cancer screening as well! We’re learning that engaging both generations in a discussion about health amplifies the message and increases access to care.

So, are you onboard for another GAIA campaign for cervical cancer prevention in Mali? We’re even working on a re-design of our iconic “Story-telling cloth” (still fashionable on the streets of Bamako!)

We’re counting on your help to make these preventative services as widely available as possible. Stay tuned for updates, and please continue your support! Today only you gift will be matched!

Healthy options for moms and daughters!

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Mar 8, 2017
GAIA's contribution to Women's day: Research on Women's health in Mali

By Eliza Squibb | Executive Director

Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices on HPV and cancer

After many years of hard work and research on cervical cancer in Bamako, Mali, our team is proud to announce the recent publication of two articles in PLOS ONE, a multidisciplinary Open Access journal.

The first article, “Knowledge, attitudes, practices and willingness to vaccinate in preparation for the introduction of HPV vaccines in Bamako, Mali” describes data collected from 301 interviews with men and women, adults and adolescents in Bamako. This study shows that Malians are very receptive to HPV vaccination, yet little is know about the virus and its connection to cervical cancer.

The second article, “Prevalence of HPV 16 and 18 and attitudes toward HPV vaccination trials in patients with cervical cancer in Mali”, investigates whether vaccine-preventable strains of HPV are present among cervical cancer patients in Mali. This study confirms that currently available HPV vaccines could have a significant impact on preventing cervical cancer in Mali. Similarly to the first study participants, cervical cancer patients are also eager for the HPV vaccine to be available in their country.

The publication of this research is a huge success for our Malian collaborators. We hope to help them promote their research careers and participate in international health conference to share their data.

Although GAIA’s research campaign ended in 2015, we are continuing to support screening supplies at 5 clinics to ensure women have access to prevention.

Our goal is to renew support for a screening campaign in conjunction with an HPV vaccine pilot program that will address HPV prevention for young girls in 2017. By training staff to perform screenings, we will not only ensure that women receive cancer prevention and treatment, but we will encourage them to seek HPV vaccination for their daughters.

On international women’s day, please support our initiative for Mother-Daughter cancer prevention in Mali!

Prevalence of HPV in Bamako, Mali

Links:

Link to GAIA's publications

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Nov 29, 2016
Matching Campaign Today Only!

By Eliza Squibb | Executive Director

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