This week, PSI’s Dr. Milly Nanyombi Kaggwa, alongside CEO Mary Eiken and Director of Global Outreach and Engagement Dicey Jackson Scroggins from International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS), and Professor Greta Dreyer from University of Pretoria participated in a webinar focused on cervical cancer and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosted by TogetHER for Health, the discussion touched on the growing concern that SRH needs of women and girls in low-income and middle-income settings will become increasingly difficult to meet, with potentially devastating consequences—largely due to COVID-19’s impact on how SRH prevention and treatment services are delivered. They also detailed ways in which frontline service providers are responding to the challenges of COVID-19, for example adapting SRH clinical guidelines and practices to meet client needs during this challenging time.
Today, 90% of women who die from cervical cancer live in the developing world.
There is a very strong link between where one lives and the type of care that they receive, as well as the likelihood of a positive healthcare outcome.
A current challenge is to find a balance between how COVID-19 and other SRH diseases are managed, and how those interventions are structured. The balance depends on the size of the local pandemic as well as the age distribution of the population, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As COVID-19 impacts national priorities in regards to SRH, there is the potential impact for loss of focus on women’s reproductive health rights.
Patient engagement is especially important during COVID-19. By amplifying patient and community voices, there is more clarity between what people believe to be true of others’ circumstances and what the reality is for them. In turn, it allows for organizations to help find and provide appropriate solutions and share appropriate information.
Each year, over 300,000 women die from cervical cancer. One woman is diagnosed every minute. Without action, deaths from cervical cancer will rise nearly 50% by 2040.
We thank TogetHER for Health for hosting this incredible event and for welcoming PSI to be a part of it.
To access the full recording of the webinar, please see below.
Banner photo: © Population Services International