HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

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.