IHI on Cervical Cancer Awareness & Treatment
Our physician nurse has been hard at work over the past few months. The fight against cervical cancer in Haiti is tough but it is one that we are taking head on. Our nurse Holdie has been traveling all over Haiti, hitting many of the provinces to spread awareness on cervical cancer, share the ways to treat it and the preventative methods as well. It is important for us to be able to provide this care for women everywhere, especially those that are vulnerable since they wouldn’t be able to get this treatment otherwise.
We are planning to have sites in all 10 departments but are currently at seven (7). We are growing and moving forward. The work consists of two parts for us. We spread awareness about cervical cancer by often partnering and working with local organizations and institutions that are familiar with the area. We visit public sites as well like public markets and churches. This then becomes a great way to educate people and also see what their opinions and concerns are.
The second part consists of the practical side of screenings for cervical cancer. We have partnered with hospitals, like Hôpital Immaculée Conception were we train the nurse/staff on how to properly screen for cervical cancer and also treat women that test positive on the spot by using the method IVA/Cryo.
It has been a goal of ours to spread awareness on cervical cancer while also treating the women that have tested positive for cancerous lesions. While still remaining culturally sensitive, we have managed to screen over 5,000 women! We are proud of the work and will continue to help implement sustainable care for the Haitian women.
