Cervical cancer is the second most fatal cancer for women in the southern African nation where a high death rate was recorded in 2018 without action.
A joint media statement says that UEM will work with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Maputo to integrate existing screening and treatment regimens with family planning programmes.
It will also test the feasibility and efficacy of innovative diagnostic tests for the human papillomavirus (HPV) which can lead to cervical cancer.
“To facilitate the research, USAID is entering into a partnership with the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, and will dedicate $12 million to support the expansion of efforts to prevent cervical cancer in Mozambique and Malawi through integrated programmes to improve women’s health”, the statement said.
According to USAID, “cervical cancer has become one of the largest killers of women in the developing world; 283,000 women die of thedisease each year in low and middle- income nations.
Malawi and Mozambique have the highest and second-highest cervical cancer in the world, respectively”.
Lack of awareness amongst the population regarding cervical cancer and growing rate of unprotected sex in countries such as Mozambique, Malawi and Comoros are some of the major factors which are likely to increase the demand for cervical cancer treatment and vaccines across the globe.
According to World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) International, Mozambique, Malawi and the Comoros were facing highest cervical cancer occurrence rate in 2018