The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has inaugurated its first colposcopy center located at Wuse District General Hospital, aimed at combating cervical cancer.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, by Bola Ajao, Media Aide to the Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environmental Secretariat, Dr Dolapo Fasawe.
According to Mrs Ajao, the machine, which was donated by Nordica Fertility Centre, Abuja, will aid early detection and treatment of the disease.
While commissioning and inspecting the newly donated colposcopy machine, Fasawe highlighted the importance of the facility.
“This is the first colposcopy center in FCT general hospitals and it will serve as a referral center for all public and private hospitals within the FCT.
“It provides an opportunity to ‘see and treat’ early changes in the cervix, helping to prevent cervical cancer,” she said.
Ms Fasawe expressed gratitude to Nordica Fertility Centre for the donation and called on other partners and organisations to support the government in building a more effective healthcare system.
She said that cervical cancer had a pre-malignant phase lasting 10 years to 15 years, which offers a critical window for early detection and treatment.
The mandate secretary also encouraged women of reproductive age to undergo regular screenings to prevent unnecessary deaths.
The available screening methods include the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and the more advanced colposcopy procedure.
“The colposcopy procedure is particularly useful for women with Abnormal Pap smear results, unusual vaginal bleeding, abnormal cervical lesions, or Post coital bleeding,” she said.
The Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Oluseyi Ashaolu, said that the secretariat has approved free colposcopy services for all female staff of FCT general hospitals until January 2025.
Ashaolu said that the step was taken to encourage the use of the facility.
He said that procedures would be conducted by specialists in gynecologic oncology, and patients with abnormal findings would receive appropriate treatments, including thermal ablation, Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure, LEEP, or definitive surgeries as necessary.
He urged women within the reproductive age group to take advantage of the facility, stating that colposcopy is a safe and effective method for detecting abnormal cell growth in the cervix, vagina, and vulva.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that cervical cancer is a major health concern in Nigeria.
It is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women aged 15 years to 44 years.
