By FOLASADE AKPAN

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, is to launch the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCIN) initiative.

Mrs Moji Makanjuola, the Chair, Media and Communications, National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination (NTF-CCE) made this known in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

According to her, PECCIN, an initiative of the NTF-CCE was established to accelerate the implementation of World Health Organisation’s 90-70-90 targets in Nigeria.

Makanjuola said that the launch of PECCIN is to be launched on Tuesday at the State House in Abuja.

She added that PECCIN, an initiative of the Federal Government is in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders.

She also said that it aims to catalyse multi-sectoral action for preventing, screening, and treating cervical cancer through sustained coordination, resource mobilisation, and service delivery scale-up.

According to the statement, Prof. Isaac Adewole, the Chairman of NTF-CCE and former Minister of Health, said that the objective of PECCIN is to drive sub-national government-led coordinated expansion of cervical cancer elimination activities and foster multi-sectoral coordination and collaboration.

According to Adewole, 60 million women in Nigeria are at risk of developing cervical cancer and approximately 22 women die daily from this preventable and treatable disease in the country.

He added that in 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative which is the first global commitment to eliminate a cancer and has set a target date of 2030.

“The strategy is based on three pillars of 90-70-90 which are: Primary prevention through Human Papilloma Virus vaccination and secondary prevention through early screening and access to early cancer treatment.”

Adewole said that the NTF-CCE was established in August 2024 by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to lead Nigeria’s national response on cervical cancer.

“NTF-CCE’s mandate is to accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards achieving the WHO Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy 90:70:90 targets by 2030, focusing on vaccinating 90 per cent of girls aged nine to 14 against HPV.

“Screening 70 per cent of eligible women for pre-cancerous lesions, and ensuring 90 per cent of women with cervical disease receive appropriate treatment,” Adewole said.

He added that by 2027, the task force aims to vaccinate 50 per cent of eligible girls, and screen 5O per cent of women while strengthening health systems to ensure effective treatment for all detected cases.

For effectiveness, the task force comprises 10 specialised subcommittees for comprehensive programme oversight.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PECCIN members are drawn from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, WHO, National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

Others are from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria and the Gates Foundation. (NAN)