HPV and Cervical Cancer Prevention for West Africa

We have just returned from a visit with our collaborators in Bamako, Mali!

Not only we were reporting the results of our recent study about HPV and cervical cancer in Mali, but also we are setting the stage for distribution of the HPV vaccine.

I brought 20 yards of the fabric print with me to show to neighborhood leaders and our collaborators in the scientific community. When we showed the cloth to doctors, they picked up on the imagery of the fallopian tubes, uterus, and virus, and they knew exactly what it was referring to. They were concerned, however, that patients would not have the same familiarity with scientific imagery.

In a small room at the Hope Center clinic, thirty women crowded in to hear about the cloth project and voice their opinions on the print. Leaders of the neighborhood women's groups had recently attended our conference on HPV, so in rapid-fire Bambara (the local language) they explained the connection between the virus and cervical cancer, which has an especially high mortality rate in Mali due to lack of access to testing and treatment. Although I couldn’t understand what they were saying, I watched comprehension flood their faces, as they all knew someone who had been a victim of the disease. They assured me that they could use the fabric as a teaching device when they wore it. "When people ask us questions about the pattern, we can explain the images", they said, demonstrating how they would hold out one arm with the fabric draped over it.

Even better, they all wanted the fabric! I took copious notes on the exact quantity we would need (Each lady needs 6 yards to make a matching top, skirt, and head wrap!). We received suggestions on how to tweak our slogan so that it could be better understood. The revised slogan will read, "Je me protege, je me dépiste tôt, je me vaccine", I protect myself (by avoiding risky sexual contact), I get tested early (to catch early development of cervical cancer), and I get vaccinated (against HPV).

The village chief, an elderly man, who is nonetheless very innovative and supportive of our projects, suggested the perfect slogan in Bambara to add to the cloth: “Banakoubé kafisa ni bana foura keye”, meaning, “it’s better to prevent than to cure". He understood the importance of the project right away!

We come back from this trip feeling blessed to have such fantastic collaborators in Mali. We are full of renewed energy and motivation for this project. 

This fall, we will begin the "sensibilisation" or "sensitization" campaign, meaning we will print a huge batch of the cloth and hold meetings with many, many community members to ensure that everyone understands the importance and relevancy of the vaccination campaign.

We are well on our way to our goal, but we still need your continued support!

Thank you!