[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":1795},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f3rEk4njT2qcFkQ5zKP60gRfWKGaxN2a1Yfnr0FYtSOo":3,"$fBgIxsGqNHUG_u-1vryhBzV6JO3pxvfUGxz2OSqb93f0":9,"$fX6yHrO9apMtlZK526Odt6kaezdmv8lC-Pzdp6DcMMB0":383,"$fnVrj0yUZvUmnD1emXK8WBnxZjXKQVtkMNtw6jCiBjDM":456,"$fuKbcfQgjnFCvnTGuKOoiKBXfdv7jk-ovBpAEBxowloI":603,"$fomsE7hpBTqOwPvC0N2Sk5W31cAfY9vOdyqhY8Cmx7Mg":628,"$fUXVxh1hywbAuIYJct9m8dOubroo3213rwqIumkYhzzE":672,"$fCcODxP1M_-xB2TwFkLR8zKTRARcgNt4svELU7rkY8YM":708,"$ftwgKpeltKvN9B3ZLSLj62o62Px2tSST_UkAaZWYMcs8":749,"$fwl75yVJ2Gs9q6O3owDHCpMQMBkIVj9SnZBvGIFwTnA4":844},{"title":4,"description":5,"backendUrl":6,"frontendUrl":7,"themeScreenshotUrl":8},"Jhpiego","We start with women's health, but we don't stop there.","https://api.jhpiego.org","https://jhpiego.org","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/themes/fuxt-backend/screenshot.png",{"googleAnalytics":10,"socialSharedImage":13,"menuFeaturedNews":106,"featuredNewsPost":163,"footerText":177,"footerEmail":178,"footerPhone":179,"footerImage":180,"introVideoBg":261,"searchHeaderImage":316},[11],{"code":12},"G-RNH48Z0R08",{"id":14,"src":15,"width":16,"height":17,"alt":18,"caption":19,"title":20,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":22,"srcset":23,"sizes":24,"meta":25,"acf":101},1113,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg",2048,1367,"","Met the health volunteer Mamadjibeye Sarah, 26, at the Miandoum ACT health clinic to follow her home to work with Sarah who is hoping to go to college and be a nurse. She studies when she can for her exams...though no schedule yet for that.  Meanwhile she is helping with the family farm where they grow peanuts, maze as well as other stuff.  But she had two children, baby, Denelelem Prudence, 1 and a half and Carla Nekouanodi, 8.  She is separated from her husband who is in N'Djamena.  Her father is the village chief.  She has to walk back and forth to the farm from the village.","Chad-CountryLandingPage","image/jpeg","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1367\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-809x540.jpeg 809w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-960x641.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1920x1282.jpeg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-809x540.jpeg 809w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-375x250.jpeg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-960x641.jpeg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1280x854.jpeg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage-1920x1282.jpeg 1920w","(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px",{"width":16,"height":17,"file":26,"filesize":27,"sizes":28,"imageMeta":83},"2025/03/Chad-CountryLandingPage.jpeg",874789,{"medium":29,"large":34,"thumbnail":39,"mediumLarge":43,"1536x1536":48,"postThumbnail":53,"socialPreview":58,"smallPreview":63,"mediumPreview":68,"largePreview":73,"fullscreenSmall":78},{"file":30,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":33},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-300x200.jpeg",300,200,20168,{"file":35,"width":36,"height":37,"mimeType":21,"filesize":38},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-1024x684.jpeg",1024,684,156421,{"file":40,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":42},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-150x150.jpeg",150,10507,{"file":44,"width":45,"height":46,"mimeType":21,"filesize":47},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-768x513.jpeg",768,513,96157,{"file":49,"width":50,"height":51,"mimeType":21,"filesize":52},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-1536x1025.jpeg",1536,1025,316659,{"file":54,"width":55,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":57},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-809x540.jpeg",809,540,105520,{"file":59,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":62},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-1200x630.jpeg",1200,630,168425,{"file":64,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":67},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-375x250.jpeg",375,250,28841,{"file":69,"width":70,"height":71,"mimeType":21,"filesize":72},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-960x641.jpeg",960,641,141094,{"file":74,"width":75,"height":76,"mimeType":21,"filesize":77},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-1280x854.jpeg",1280,854,230709,{"file":79,"width":80,"height":81,"mimeType":21,"filesize":82},"Chad-CountryLandingPage-1920x1282.jpeg",1920,1282,472590,{"aperture":84,"credit":85,"camera":86,"caption":19,"createdTimestamp":87,"copyright":88,"focalLength":89,"iso":90,"shutterSpeed":91,"title":18,"orientation":84,"keywords":92},"0","Karen Kasmauski","NIKON D750","1473510651","2016 Karen Kasmauski","24","800","0.003125",[93,94,95,96,97,98,99,100],"Bebedja","Chad","clinic nurse","farming","health volunteer","malaria","village","water",{"primaryColor":102,"blurhash":103,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":104,"focalPointY":105},"#423f2b","UYD0JtWBWUoJ_4R*axay-=azjGay%MWCaxof","53.4","17.6",{"id":107,"guid":108,"title":109,"content":110,"excerpt":111,"excerptRaw":111,"slug":112,"url":113,"uri":114,"to":114,"status":115,"date":116,"modified":117,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":120},8406,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8406","Dr. Allyson Bear to Lead Jhpiego as New President and CEO","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Baltimore, MD\u003C/strong> – Johns Hopkins University has announced that Dr. Allyson Bear will be Jhpiego’s next president and CEO. She will assume the role on April 1, 2026.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear joins Jhpiego with 25 years of experience in the global health sector, most recently serving as founder and CEO of the Baltimore-based public health consultancy Vennhealth. Throughout her career, she has led strategic and evaluative initiatives that have shaped major global health programs and investments. Notable achievements include revising USAID’s maternal and child health investment frameworks to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, evaluating USAID’s flagship maternal and child health program, and designing a $1 billion successor strategy. In addition, she led the evaluation of the $3.5 billion Feed the Future nutrition portfolio, providing evidence that informed its Congressional reauthorization.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The throughline of Allyson’s professional trajectory has been a profound commitment to alleviating human suffering and promoting human dignity and health for all—a background that aligns deeply with Jhpiego’s longstanding mission to provide access to lifesaving health care where it is needed most,” said Johns Hopkins University President Ron Daniels in an email to the Johns Hopkins University community. “She brings a proven track record in strategic growth, innovation, and resource mobilization across the global health, economic development, and humanitarian sectors.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear began her career focused on global market shaping and scale-up efforts, starting with Gavi’s PneumoADIP and Hib Initiative, where she provided technical assistance to Ministries of Health for vaccine rollout and impact evaluations. From 2009 to 2015, she worked at USAID, leading the development of flagship U.S. Government health initiatives. She has also held leadership positions at Corus International and Abt Associates, managing global health and economic development portfolios across West Africa, francophone Central Africa, North Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Bear has worked in more than 45 countries worldwide, including 11 years of residence in multiple countries throughout Africa and Asia.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It has been a privilege to lead Jhpiego over the last 25 years, and I could not be more confident as I pass the baton to Dr. Allyson Bear,” said Dr. Leslie Mancuso, outgoing president and CEO of Jhpiego. “Her commitment to improving global health and her thoughtful, values-driven leadership give me great optimism for the future of the organization.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Bear will succeed Dr. Leslie Mancuso, who has led Jhpiego since 2001 and announced her planned retirement in 2024. Under Dr. Mancuso’s leadership, Jhpiego has evolved from an organization with four core programs focused on family planning and cervical cancer prevention into one of the world’s most respected global health entities, now operating in 39 countries.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To learn more about Dr. Bear, \u003Cstrong>\u003Ca href=\"https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/03/17/allyson-bear-named-jhpiego-president-ceo/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https://hub.jhu.edu/2026/03/17/allyson-bear-named-jhpiego-president-ceo/\">read the Johns Hopkins University Hub article here.\u003C/a>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Johns Hopkins University has announced that Dr. Allyson Bear will be Jhpiego’s next president and CEO. She will assume the role on April 1, 2026.\u003C/p>\n","allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo/","/our-stories/p/allyson-bear-to-lead-jhpiego-as-new-president-and-ceo/","publish","2026-03-23T12:01:00","2026-03-24T18:49:54","post",5,{"id":121,"src":122,"width":60,"height":123,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":124,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":125,"srcset":126,"sizes":127,"meta":128,"acf":158},8456,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg",627,"Allyson Bear Announcement_Landscape","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"627\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Allyson-Bear-Announcement_Landscape.jpg 1200w, 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Hopkins\u003Cbr />\nUniversity Affiliate\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://maps.app.goo.gl/oSrmwL2C1hKzPDuEA\" target=\"_blank\">1615 Thames Street\u003Cbr />\nBaltimore, Maryland 21231, USA\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n","info@jhpiego.org","410-537-1800",{"id":31,"src":181,"width":182,"height":183,"alt":18,"caption":184,"title":185,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":186,"srcset":187,"sizes":188,"meta":189,"acf":257},"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984.jpeg",4000,2670,"Maichew Town, Lemlem Karl Hospital (built 1991)in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Safe Surgery Practice implemented there.  General Surgeon, Dr. Tesfaye Abraham, 40, supports the effort. He has worked at the hospital for 11 years.He is especially interested in infection prevention especially with post surgery.\n\nHis surgical team group shot.","80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984","\u003Cimg width=\"4000\" height=\"2670\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984.jpeg 4000w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984-1024x684.jpeg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/80b63f8648129e2500d8baebd7036984-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, 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Statements","1896","https://jhpiego.org/policies-and-statements/",[18],"/policies-and-statements/",[],[750],{"id":751,"guid":752,"title":753,"content":754,"excerpt":755,"excerptRaw":18,"slug":756,"url":757,"uri":758,"to":758,"status":115,"date":759,"modified":760,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":761,"terms":817,"acf":839},3947,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3947","An Integrated, Woman-Centered Approach to Breast Health ","\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An integrated approach with HIV care and treatment makes cancer prevention services more accessible\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3948\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-1.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Joana Albino (left) with her mother and sister. Photos by Jhpiego/Manuel Jesus Joaquim.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>For two years, Joana Albino sought help for a growth in her left breast. She visited the local doctors a couple of times, but it didn’t help. Her condition worsened. “Because of the state I was in, I could not find work. I closed myself off and lived in my own world. Many things came to a halt,” says the 26-year-old, who lives on the outskirts of Maputo, Mozambique. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A visit to a Jhpiego-supported health fair at an armed forces barracks during breast cancer awareness month last October brought Joana the relief and referral she needed. “The nurses welcomed me, listened attentively to my history and screened me,” she recalls. This was her first encounter with health workers who gave her the support she needed. Suspecting cancer, the nurses referred Joana to José Macamo Hospital, where she received a diagnosis, treatment and hope for the future. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A recently released \u003Cem>Lancet \u003C/em>Commission report titled “\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01701-4/fulltext\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Women, power, and cancer\u003C/a>” puts many of the experiences faced by women like Joana at center stage. It highlights the discrimination and stigma faced by breast cancer patients who often defer seeking care. “This report compels us to look beyond the biomedical aspects of ‘women’s cancers’ and investigate the interplay of inequities like race, region, class, ethnicity, etc., that disadvantage women in multiple ways,” says Dr. Somesh Kumar, a member of the \u003Cem>Lancet\u003C/em> Commission who serves as Sr. Technical Director in Jhpiego’s Innovations office and as its India Country Director.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>At Jhpiego, we have always adopted a women-centered approach to care, including our work in women’s cancers, and that is exactly what this report underpins—the need to increase equitable access to early detection and diagnosis of cancer, and co-create accessible and responsive health systems that provide respectful, quality cancer care for women.” — Dr. Somesh Kumar\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>The Lancet\u003C/em> report states that of the 2.3 million women who die prematurely from cancer each year (which disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries), 1.5 million deaths could be averted through primary prevention or early detection, while a further 800,000 deaths could be averted if all women, everywhere, could access optimal cancer care. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3949\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Joana Albino braiding her mother’s hair.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization (WHO) \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/initiatives/global-breast-cancer-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global Breast Cancer Initiative\u003C/a> recommends public education programs to encourage early detection, timely breast diagnosis and comprehensive breast cancer management. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego’s breast cancer work, which is closely aligned with the WHO strategy, prioritizes early cancer detection for better treatment outcomes. Maura McCarthy, Jhpiego’s Team Lead for the women’s cancers portfolio, says, “Our work starts at the primary level to increase community awareness and primary care with high-quality clinical breast exams and to ensure critical linkages to diagnostic services.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The health fair in Mozambique that Joana attended is part of a comprehensive HIV project, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, that serves Mozambique Defense Forces and communities surrounding military sites in 11 provinces. Along with HIV prevention, testing and care and treatment services, the project provides family planning services and breast and cervical cancer screening. More than 9,500 women have been screened for breast and cervical cancer since the project began in 2019.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3950\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-image-3.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Joana Albino with her mother as Joana continues her treatment and recovers from surgery.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This is another key tenet of Jhpiego’s approach,” says Maura. “We integrate clinical breast exams into other primary care visits related to maternal and child health, family planning and, always, always, with cervical cancer screening visits. We have tested and refined this approach across several countries, such as Tanzania and Botswana, and are now implementing it in \u003Ca href=\"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/our-stories/p/bringing-breast-cancer-care-closer-to-women-indias-experience/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"3329\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">India\u003C/a>, Mozambique and Ghana.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Kumar adds, “Even after being detected with a suspected lump, we know it is hard for women, on many counts, to travel long distances repeatedly for diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, we are making efforts to bring advanced services closer to where they live, using innovations like AI-based ultrasounds and molecular diagnostics at the district level. We are ensuring that women have access to multiple forms of treatment and establishing strong patient navigation pathways that would provide them with support to complete their treatment journey. Through our partnerships, we are creating diverse investment opportunities and generating the evidence needed for scalability.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When Joana reached José Macamo Hospital, the doctor determined that her left breast showed signs of ulceration and suggested removing all the affected parts and offered reconstruction surgery. Joana consented. The doctors performed her surgery in May. Today, Joana is continuing her treatment but has found strength in her recovery. “I feel like a happy woman, a complete woman. Today, I can say that I have regained my youth because I haven’t felt this way in a long time. A health fair gave me back my life,” she says, with a smile. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dr. Somesh Kumar, a Sr. Technical Director in Jhpiego’s Innovations office and  India Country Director, provided a technical review of this article. \u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Manuel Jesus Joaquim is Senior Communications Advisor in Jhpiego’s Mozambique office; he contributed reporting and photos. Indrani Kashyap is Associate Director of Regional Communications and is based in India.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>An integrated approach with HIV care and treatment makes cancer prevention services more accessible For two years, Joana Albino sought…\u003C/p>\n","an-integrated-woman-centered-approach-to-breast-health","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/an-integrated-woman-centered-approach-to-breast-health/","/our-stories/p/an-integrated-woman-centered-approach-to-breast-health/","2023-10-24T21:04:00","2025-08-17T15:25:56",{"id":762,"src":763,"width":231,"height":319,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":764,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":765,"srcset":766,"sizes":324,"meta":767,"acf":814},3951,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Integrated-woman-centered-feature-image.jpg","Story-Integrated woman centered-feature image","\u003Cimg width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" 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Kashyap",[845,898,978,1052,1130,1171,1231,1283,1343,1401,1466,1550,1604,1658,1709,1776],{"id":846,"guid":847,"title":848,"content":849,"excerpt":850,"excerptRaw":18,"slug":851,"url":852,"uri":853,"to":853,"status":115,"date":854,"modified":855,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":856},8549,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8549","Quiet Conversations in Courtyards Lead to Better Health in Pakistan","\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dr. Shazia Niazi is Bridging Health Systems and Communities\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Get aside… move… move… Dr. Sahiba (female health worker) has arrived! Bring water… spread the mat… call the other women!”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The voices echo through a narrow neighborhood street in Quetta, Balochistan. Inside a joint-family compound, excitement spreads quickly. Women gather in the courtyard, adjusting their shawls, bringing their children forward, whispering to one another.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“A lady doctor has come to our home.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Some rush to call other women from nearby houses. Others quickly pull out their children’s health cards.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The woman they are welcoming so warmly is Dr. Shazia Niazi, provincial coordinator for Jhpiego Pakistan. She is a trained medical doctor specializing in obstetrics, gynecology, and public health.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In official settings, Dr. Shazia often sits across the table from senior government officials for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) on behalf of a Jhpiego project that works closely with Pakistan’s provincial government to improve routine immunization outcomes. As a coordinator, Dr. Shazia participates in high-level technical meetings, coordinates with provincial health authorities, and represents Jhpiego in policy discussions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But her work does not end in boardrooms.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Much of it happens inside homes, in courtyards, and among families who rarely meet a doctor face-to-face.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8553\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-6-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Shazia often serves as the vital connection between community and government. During the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, she served as a provincial quality monitor for a Gavi-funded project for Jhpiego. She regularly visited vaccination centers across Balochistan, monitoring vaccine storage in ice-lined refrigerators, checking expiration dates, ensuring adherence to safety protocols, and supporting vaccinators.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Every evening during the COVID-19 rollout, she shared her observations from the day in the community—whether about vaccine hesitancy or adverse events following immunization—with the provincial EPI team to improve the process.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, her focus is shifting toward another important milestone. Balochistan plans to introduce the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls by 2027, and the groundwork is already underway. Dr. Shazia engages health professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to build awareness and support for the vaccine. In addition to speaking about HPV and advocating for its importance, she also engages communities on routine immunization and vaccination.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8554\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-5.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-5-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-5-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-5-375x500.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-7.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8555\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-7.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-7-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-7-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-7-375x500.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Because of her work and her medical practice, Dr. Shazia has become a familiar and trusted figure across the province.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On this particular day, she came to a neighborhood in Quetta simply to check the immunization status of children.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One by one, mothers approached her eagerly, holding up their children’s EPI cards for review. These cards are crucial because they record a child’s routine vaccinations from birth to 15 months, protecting them from vaccine-preventable diseases.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Doctor Sahiba, please check this,” one mother says. “Mine also… look at my child’s card,” another mother adds.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Just a month earlier, this same compound had several children who had missed routine vaccines, especially measles and pentavalent-3, a vaccine that protects young children from five serious diseases, preventing illness and death.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Many families had also misplaced their EPI cards.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, the scene is different. As Dr. Shazia flips through the cards, a smile appears on her face. Most of the children have now received their scheduled doses, and some are close to completing their immunization.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What changed?\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When she visited last month, many families had not realized how important immunizations were. But after their conversations with Dr. Shazia, they understood. Today they came prepared.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Working in this community requires navigating deeply rooted social norms.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“In this society, patriarchy is strong,” said Dr. Shazia. “But at the same time, cultural respect also opens doors. Because I am a female doctor, many men here treat me like a sister. They listen.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>That trust makes a big difference.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When I speak to the men about their children’s health, they take it seriously,” Dr. Shazia said. “And when they agree, the message reaches the women as well.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8552\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Her relationship with the community goes beyond official visits. Many families know her from her clinical practice, and those interactions often become opportunities to talk about maternal health, child health, and immunization.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The community often assumes she has come to provide treatment.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“They thought I came to run a home-based clinic today,” she said with a smile. “But actually, I came to talk about vaccines.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Community outreach of this kind is usually conducted by social mobilizers or polio workers—people who sometimes face resistance, including community hesitancy, cultural and religious misconceptions, and rumors about vaccine safety. Remote locations, security challenges, and limited resources make reaching children even harder. These barriers affect routine immunization coverage. But a doctor walking into the same neighborhood receives a different welcome. “They invite me into their homes,” Dr. Shazia said. “They offer tea. They spread a mat for me to sit. And while we talk about health, the women also share their everyday concerns.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In those quiet conversations in courtyards, over tea, trust is built. And trust in public health often saves lives. Women like Dr. Shazia Niazi are more than doctors. They are bridges between health systems and communities, breaking cultural barriers through dialogue, respect, and persistence.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Shazia is helping ensure that children are protected, families are informed, and communities are healthier than they were yesterday.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dr. Fahad Abbasi is a Technical Advisor for Jhpiego’s Pakistan Office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Dr. Christopher Morgan is Jhpiego’s Technical Director for Immunization.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Dr. Shazia Niazi is Bridging Health Systems and Communities “Get aside… move… move… Dr. Sahiba (female health worker) has arrived!…\u003C/p>\n","quiet-conversations-in-courtyards-lead-to-better-health-in-pakistan","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/quiet-conversations-in-courtyards-lead-to-better-health-in-pakistan/","/our-stories/p/quiet-conversations-in-courtyards-lead-to-better-health-in-pakistan/","2026-04-14T15:01:52","2026-04-14T15:16:40",{"id":857,"src":858,"width":36,"height":45,"alt":18,"caption":859,"title":860,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":861,"srcset":862,"sizes":863,"meta":864,"acf":895},8552,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg","Dr. Shazia with children and mothers in a Balochistan community. Photo by EPI Balochistan for Jhpiego.","Dr. Shazia (3)","\u003Cimg width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-960x720.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3-960x720.jpg 960w","(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px",{"width":36,"height":45,"file":865,"filesize":866,"sizes":867,"imageMeta":893},"2026/04/Dr.-Shazia-3.jpg",324829,{"medium":868,"thumbnail":872,"mediumLarge":875,"postThumbnail":879,"socialPreview":883,"smallPreview":886,"mediumPreview":890},{"file":869,"width":31,"height":870,"mimeType":21,"filesize":871},"Dr.-Shazia-3-300x225.jpg",225,18225,{"file":873,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":874},"Dr.-Shazia-3-150x150.jpg",7068,{"file":876,"width":45,"height":877,"mimeType":21,"filesize":878},"Dr.-Shazia-3-768x576.jpg",576,99176,{"file":880,"width":881,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":882},"Dr.-Shazia-3-720x540.jpg",720,88715,{"file":884,"width":36,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":885},"Dr.-Shazia-3-1024x630.jpg",168769,{"file":887,"width":65,"height":888,"mimeType":21,"filesize":889},"Dr.-Shazia-3-375x281.jpg",281,26966,{"file":891,"width":70,"height":881,"mimeType":21,"filesize":892},"Dr.-Shazia-3-960x720.jpg",151160,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":894},[],{"primaryColor":896,"blurhash":897,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":18,"focalPointY":18},"#d7c4ae","UcLD3~#;Sc$z%fkWoJoy~oSKV]bv=JspWqV[",{"id":899,"guid":900,"title":901,"content":902,"excerpt":903,"excerptRaw":903,"slug":904,"url":905,"uri":906,"to":906,"status":115,"date":907,"modified":908,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":909},8073,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8073","Cervical Cancer Screening Results at Women’s Doorsteps in Burkina Faso","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8079\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata_Burkina-Faso_2026-1.jpg 5568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Living on the northern outskirts of the city of Ouagadougou, Ramata Sanga is a mother of three who runs a small tattoo business. Ten years ago, she lost her mother to cervical cancer. In Burkina Faso, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer. In 2022, \u003Ca href=\"chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/854-burkina-faso-fact-sheet.pdf\">988 new cases and 775 deaths were recorded\u003C/a> (that is about two deaths per day).  In 2023, 59,628 women benefited from cervical cancer screening (Statistical Yearbook 2023).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One year ago, Ramata attended a community awareness session about the prevention of cervical cancer. Conducted by a community health worker through Jhpiego, she learned more about cervical cancer and even brought a self-sample kit home with her to use in the privacy of her own home. She was determined to take steps to protect herself.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This was my first time [testing for cervical cancer]. I never thought it would be this simple,” said Ramata. “I did it to avoid the suffering and tragedy that my late mother endured.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ramata gave her sample to a community health worker, who then took it to the health center so it could be sent to the laboratory. Once the results were in, a health worker brought them to Ramata at her home, taking the time to carefully explain the results. Ramata tested negative for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), giving her reassurance and confirming that she was free from early signs of cervical cancer.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and funded by Unitaid, the Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) Project aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from cervical cancer by improving access to diagnostic services and precancer treatment in six regions of Burkina Faso.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To make testing, receiving test results, and follow-up as easy as possible for women, SUCCESS strengthens community access efforts by working with health workers to bring test results directly to their clients at home. If a test is positive, the client is referred to a health center for examination of precancerous lesions and treatment by thermal ablation, if necessary. If a test is negative, clients receive additional counseling and are encouraged to return for a follow-up appointment in five years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8080\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg 5568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I lived in fear whenever I heard the word cancer,” said Ramata. “It made me uncomfortable and sick. But when I got the results from the first test, I felt free and whole.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Strengthened by the clear benefits of early detection, Ramata is confident about her health, her future, her business, and the well-being of her family.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As SUCCESS’s technical assistance lead in Burkina Faso, Jhpiego promotes a community-based approach to self-sampling for HPV testing. This helps increase the screening rate for precancerous lesions of the cervix and lessens the occurrence of cervical cancer, a preventable disease. As of December 2025, SUCCESS has helped 3,372 women self-sample in their communities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ramata has no shortage of reasons to be grateful for innovations in health care for women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Treatment [for cervical cancer] is costly and time-consuming—often beyond what many women and their families can afford,” said Ramata. “The SUCCESS Project gives us a chance to prevent cervical cancer. When I am healthy, the income from my tattoo business allows me to support my husband and contribute to our children’s education.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Community-based self-sampling reduces certain barriers to care that women often face, such as long travel distances and fear. “When women see the benefits and interact regularly with community health workers, their confidence grows,” said Dr. Linda Traore, Project Manager for SUCCESS/Jhpiego in Burkina Faso. “The relationship between the health worker and the community is essential to encouraging more women to get screened and take control of their health.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ramata’s experience illustrates the real impact of accessible health initiatives like SUCCESS in addressing cervical cancer. By empowering women with knowledge and reducing barriers to screening, this preventable disease can be detected early, leading to better health outcomes for women and their families.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Souleymane Zare is a communications specialist for Jhpiego in Burkina Faso.\u003C/em> \u003Cem>Joan Nduta, Senior Communications Officer for the Africa Region, contributed to this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Tracey Shissler, the SUCCESS/Jhpiego Program Director, reviewed this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>The SUCCESS Project is strengthening community access to cervical cancer screening by bringing test results directly to their clients at home. \u003C/p>\n","cervical-cancer-screening-results-at-womens-doorsteps-in-burkina-faso","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/cervical-cancer-screening-results-at-womens-doorsteps-in-burkina-faso/","/our-stories/p/cervical-cancer-screening-results-at-womens-doorsteps-in-burkina-faso/","2026-02-10T19:41:46","2026-02-11T17:07:15",{"id":910,"src":911,"width":912,"height":913,"alt":18,"caption":914,"title":915,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":916,"srcset":917,"sizes":918,"meta":919,"acf":975},8080,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg",5568,3712,"A community health worker shares information about cervical cancer with Ramata. Photo by Souleymane Zare for Jhpiego.","Ramata and CHW_Burkina Faso_2026","\u003Cimg width=\"5568\" height=\"3712\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg 5568w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-3840x2560.jpg 3840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5568px) 100vw, 5568px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg 5568w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-3840x2560.jpg 3840w","(max-width: 5568px) 100vw, 5568px",{"width":912,"height":913,"file":920,"filesize":921,"sizes":922,"imageMeta":967},"2026/02/Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026.jpg",6728406,{"medium":923,"large":926,"thumbnail":929,"mediumLarge":932,"1536x1536":935,"2048x2048":938,"postThumbnail":942,"socialPreview":945,"smallPreview":948,"mediumPreview":951,"largePreview":954,"fullscreenSmall":958,"fullscreen":961,"fullscreenLarge":964},{"file":924,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":925},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-300x200.jpg",97750,{"file":927,"width":36,"height":334,"mimeType":21,"filesize":928},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1024x683.jpg",245602,{"file":930,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":931},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-150x150.jpg",87001,{"file":933,"width":45,"height":341,"mimeType":21,"filesize":934},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-768x512.jpg",179376,{"file":936,"width":50,"height":36,"mimeType":21,"filesize":937},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1536x1024.jpg",404213,{"file":939,"width":16,"height":940,"mimeType":21,"filesize":941},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2048x1365.jpg",1365,597706,{"file":943,"width":352,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":944},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-810x540.jpg",190533,{"file":946,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":947},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1200x630.jpg",251589,{"file":949,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":950},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-375x250.jpg",107242,{"file":952,"width":70,"height":362,"mimeType":21,"filesize":953},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-960x640.jpg",227462,{"file":955,"width":75,"height":956,"mimeType":21,"filesize":957},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1280x853.jpg",853,321157,{"file":959,"width":80,"height":75,"mimeType":21,"filesize":960},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-1920x1280.jpg",546333,{"file":962,"width":231,"height":319,"mimeType":21,"filesize":963},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-2560x1707.jpg",816955,{"file":965,"width":236,"height":231,"mimeType":21,"filesize":966},"Ramata-and-CHW_Burkina-Faso_2026-3840x2560.jpg",1473072,{"aperture":968,"credit":18,"camera":969,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":970,"copyright":18,"focalLength":971,"iso":972,"shutterSpeed":973,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":974},"22","NIKON D7500","1720086923","18","1600","0.004",[],{"primaryColor":976,"blurhash":977,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":18,"focalPointY":18},"#6c543f","UYHUztRkt8RjIo.9t8WVS%kXxuxu_Nogo#WB",{"id":979,"guid":980,"title":981,"content":982,"excerpt":983,"excerptRaw":983,"slug":984,"url":985,"uri":986,"to":986,"status":115,"date":987,"modified":988,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":989},8021,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=8021","From Paper-Based to Real-Time Care: How Parañaque City Strengthened Progress to Eliminate Cervical Cancer","\n\u003Cp>Marie Lea Aragon (Lea) takes her role in cervical cancer prevention very personally. For her, every woman who walks into a health center in Parañaque City represents a responsibility and a promise: to provide timely, respectful care and to ensure no one is lost in the system.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Many women were afraid before,” Lea says. “They did not know what cervical cancer was, what the cervix was, or why screening was important.” One program and a concerted effort helped change that.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"653\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-1024x653.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8024\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-1024x653.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-300x191.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-768x489.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-1536x979.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-2048x1305.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-847x540.jpg 847w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-375x239.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-960x612.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-1280x816.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-1920x1224.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening-2560x1631.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-leads-a-community-session-on-cervical-cancer-prevention-in-Paranaque-City-helping-women-understand-the-importance-of-early-screening.jpg 3559w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A Coordinator at the Heart of the Program\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lea is the nurse coordinator for Parañaque City’s Cancer Control Program, coordinating screening and treatment across the city’s primary care facilities. Parañaque is a highly urbanized city located in Southern Metro Manila along the western coast of Luzon in the Philippines. Lea also manages program data and oversees the release of results. During Phase 2 of the Unitaid-funded Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) project, she assumed the additional role of focal point for data, ensuring the smooth management of patient and community-based screening across health centers, laboratories, and treatment facilities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Parañaque City worked closely with SUCCESS through Jhpiego in the Philippines, to increase women’s community access to human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and treatment of precancerous lesions through thermal ablation, supporting the introduction and preparation for country expansion.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Before SUCCESS, the Gaps Were Clear\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lea began managing the city’s cervical cancer screening in 2015. At that time, awareness was low, and misinformation was common. Encouraging women to get screened was difficult, especially when procedures felt unfamiliar.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Data management was entirely via pen-and-paper methods. Screening lists were written on paper, and treatment required referrals to tertiary hospitals. Follow-ups were inconsistent.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Because we were using manual reporting, some women were lost during follow-up,” Lea explains. “We no longer knew what happened to them after referral.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Using informational materials developed through the SUCCESS Project, she conducted community sessions with simple language and visuals to explain cervical cancer and emphasize the importance of early detection, but the real change began during the second phase of the project.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-2 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8026\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, 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https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered-2560x3413.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Marie-Lea-Aragon-explains-the-HPV-self-sample-collection-process-making-screening-more-accessible-private-and-woman-centered.jpg 3024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8027\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Through-self-collection-and-clear-guidance-women-are-empowered-to-take-an-active-role-in-cervical-cancer-prevention.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A Turning Point\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego introduced a client monitoring tool (CMT), a live worksheet accessible to providers and navigators. For Lea, the change was immediate.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When the CMT was introduced, we immediately saw how advanced and innovative it was,” she said. “The data was real-time, and we could see whether the laboratory, nurse, or health provider had already acted on the case.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Referrals became easier to track; follow-ups became visible, and information was no longer fragmented.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Coming from manual (pen-and-paper) recording and reporting, the relief this digital monitoring tool gave us was huge,” Lea says.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Confidence Built Through Data and Training\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lea’s confidence in managing services grew alongside the system.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The data is now real-time and complete,” she said. “You know it is not manipulated, and nothing is missing.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The tool was later modified to be QR code-based and paperless. Screening results are uploaded as PDFs and linked to each client’s record, including treatment details and before-and-after images of the cervix.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This is very helpful for women like hotel workers who only have about 20 minutes during their break,” she said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A Clear Difference for Clients and Health Workers Alike\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Health workers across barangays were trained in screening and treatment, strengthening coordination.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“All health workers can now see in the system if a woman has been screened, treated, or followed up,” said Lea.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And clients are noticing the difference in the quality of care. “The feedback from patients has been very positive,” she said. “There is now a continuity of services.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Capacity strengthening also extended to data analysis. Through Jhpiego, Lea was trained in using statistical software for data management, data analysis, visualization, and reporting—which enabled her to analyze program data and prepare accurate reports for the Department of Health and the city health office.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The training was very useful in analyzing data and providing accurate information,” she says.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lea also received clinical training on near point-of-care DNA testing platforms and on providing thermal ablation for precancer treatment.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With HPV testing and the thermal ablation device, our work became much easier,” she said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Scaling Up HPV Testing and Looking Ahead\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Parañaque City continues to build on these gains. HPV DNA test kits have been budgeted, and self-collection allows women to collect samples themselves, reducing discomfort and protecting privacy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With the improved process, women no longer need to be afraid,” Lea said. “Self-collection is very empowering because clients do not have to undergo a procedure that causes discomfort or privacy concerns.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lea is proud of how far their program has come. “We gained lessons, experiences, and insights that enable us to help many women prevent and treat cervical cancer,” she said. “I always tell women who come for screening that our goal is for no one to develop cervical cancer because of strong awareness, systems, and the support provided through SUCCESS and Jhpiego. Through screening and early treatment of HPV, we can achieve this.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Lea, sustainability is key. She calls on local governments to invest in long-term cervical cancer prevention programs.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It is important to have policies that make this program sustainable and continuing,” she says. “I call on other cities to ensure that there is a dedicated program for women.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As Parañaque City scales up, Lea remains hopeful. “It has been an honor to collaborate with the SUCCESS Project,” she said. “It has been instrumental in strengthening services and supporting our plans to scale up HPV testing.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Lea and the women she serves, the journey continues, grounded in stronger systems, empowered health workers, and the belief that cervical cancer is preventable.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Geri Matthew Carretero is the Communication and Knowledge Management Officer for Jhpiego in the Philippines. Tracey Shissler is the the SUCCESS/Jhpiego Program Director.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Marie Lea Aragon (Lea) takes her role in cervical cancer prevention very personally. For her, every woman who walks into a health center in Parañaque City represents a responsibility and a promise: to provide timely, respectful care and to ensure no one is lost in the system.\u003C/p>\n","from-paper-to-real-time-care-in-the-philippines","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/from-paper-to-real-time-care-in-the-philippines/","/our-stories/p/from-paper-to-real-time-care-in-the-philippines/","2026-02-04T17:56:14","2026-02-04T18:46:54",{"id":990,"src":991,"width":992,"height":993,"alt":18,"caption":994,"title":995,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":996,"srcset":997,"sizes":998,"meta":999,"acf":1049},8023,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection.jpg",4032,3024,"Jhpiego supports health workers like Marie Lea Aragon in helping women through every step of cervical cancer screening, from education to self-sample collection. Photo courtesy of Parañaque City’s Cancer Control Program.","Marie Lea Aragon_Philippines_2026","\u003Cimg width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection.jpg 4032w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, 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https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-3840x2880.jpg 3840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection.jpg 4032w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-3840x2880.jpg 3840w","(max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px",{"width":992,"height":993,"file":1000,"filesize":1001,"sizes":1002,"imageMeta":1047},"2026/02/Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection.jpg",3946565,{"medium":1003,"large":1006,"thumbnail":1009,"mediumLarge":1012,"1536x1536":1015,"2048x2048":1019,"postThumbnail":1022,"socialPreview":1025,"smallPreview":1028,"mediumPreview":1031,"largePreview":1034,"fullscreenSmall":1037,"fullscreen":1040,"fullscreenLarge":1043},{"file":1004,"width":31,"height":870,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1005},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-300x225.jpg",22386,{"file":1007,"width":36,"height":45,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1008},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1024x768.jpg",193201,{"file":1010,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1011},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-150x150.jpg",8974,{"file":1013,"width":45,"height":877,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1014},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-768x576.jpg",116636,{"file":1016,"width":50,"height":1017,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1018},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1536x1152.jpg",1152,388005,{"file":1020,"width":16,"height":50,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1021},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2048x1536.jpg",641972,{"file":1023,"width":881,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1024},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-720x540.jpg",103980,{"file":1026,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1027},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1200x630.jpg",170199,{"file":1029,"width":65,"height":888,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1030},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-375x281.jpg",32778,{"file":1032,"width":70,"height":881,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1033},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-960x720.jpg",172657,{"file":1035,"width":75,"height":70,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1036},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1280x960.jpg",283750,{"file":1038,"width":80,"height":265,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1039},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-1920x1440.jpg",573268,{"file":1041,"width":231,"height":80,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1042},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-2560x1920.jpg",955125,{"file":1044,"width":236,"height":1045,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1046},"Jhpiego-supports-health-workers-like-Marie-Lea-Aragon-in-helping-women-through-every-step-of-cervical-cancer-screening-from-education-to-self-sample-collection-3840x2880.jpg",2880,1990367,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":84,"keywords":1048},[],{"primaryColor":1050,"blurhash":1051,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":18,"focalPointY":18},"#313335","UYG[+oM{tQtQ~C%2WTt7%2i{tQbFwyspRPof",{"id":1053,"guid":1054,"title":1055,"content":1056,"excerpt":1057,"excerptRaw":1057,"slug":1058,"url":1059,"uri":1060,"to":1060,"status":115,"date":1061,"modified":1062,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":1063},7894,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7894","Workplace health clinics lead to life-saving care in Bangladesh’s garment factories","\n\u003Cp>For 33-year-old Ayesa Akter Asha and many other women like her, a major shift in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry proves that workplace health is central to national resilience.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Life as a climate migrant\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Seven years ago, Ayesa’s life was torn apart when the relentless river erosion in her native Chandpur, a disaster-prone coastal area of Bangladesh, swallowed the only home she had ever known. A climate migrant, she fled with her husband, child, and mother-in-law, carrying little more than grief. They found shelter with Ayesa’s sister in the overwhelming urban sprawl of Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka. Driven by the desperate need to feed her family, Ayesa found work at the Vision Garments Ltd. factory, which makes ready-made garments (RMG). She started as a helper, slowly climbing her way up to sewing operator. Trapped in the daily grind of survival with family members depending on her, caring for her own health felt like an impossible, selfish fantasy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Rapid urbanization and its impact on health\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ayesa is not alone. Much of Bangladesh’s economic growth is powered by its ready-made garment industry and its predominantly female workforce. It’s estimated that around \u003Ca href=\"https://www.economicsobservatory.com/whats-happening-in-bangladeshs-garment-industry\">4 million people are employed by the industry\u003C/a>, 80% of whom are women. This workforce is also at the nexus of two of the nation’s most significant challenges: rapid urbanization and climate vulnerability. Bangladesh ranks ninth on the \u003Ca href=\"https://weltrisikobericht.de/worldriskreport/#iLightbox[3eaabc1b8dca4be67ae]/0\">2024 World Risk Index\u003C/a> of countries vulnerable to extreme weather and other climate impacts. It ranks second-highest in flood risk.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As climate pressures increasingly drive migration from rural areas, urban centers swell. Approximately \u003Ca href=\"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/climate-change-drives-migration-crisis-in-bangladesh-from-dhaka-sundabans\">400,000\u003C/a> low-income migrants, just like Ayesa and her family, arrive in Dhaka every year. Many are forced to settle in densely populated urban slums with poor sanitation and unhygienic living conditions. This rapid urbanization, compounded by gender-based health disparities, often leaves women disconnected from the traditional health systems they once knew and their health needs are often deprioritized due to work, family, and mobility constraints.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This gap does not just impact individuals; it weakens the entire public health infrastructure, making it less resilient to shocks—from climate disasters to disease epidemics. In this environment, preventable diseases, including life-threatening ones like cervical cancer, can take hold.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A truly resilient, epidemic-ready primary health care system must therefore be agile, gender-responsive, and meet people where they are.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Bringing primary health care to factory floors\u003C/strong>\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Recognizing this, Jhpiego, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh, pioneered a new model that redefined primary health care in the country. Instead of asking women to leave their jobs and risk their wages to find a distant clinic, the project brought the clinic to the factory floor. By leveraging existing factory medical officers, paramedics, and service providers at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, it embedded life-saving services directly into the workplace.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Some of the services provided included:\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Col class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Early detection of cervical cancer through screenings to ensure timely interventions.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Comprehensive health education to inform women about sexual and reproductive health and rights and stress the importance of regular check-ups.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Empowerment of female workers by encouraging them to take proactive steps toward their own well-being.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Establishing a robust referral system for follow-up care to ensure those needing further treatment were connected to specialized facilities.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ol>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"462\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-1024x462.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7899\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-1024x462.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-300x135.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-768x346.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-1536x693.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-2048x924.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-960x433.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-375x169.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-1280x577.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2-1920x866.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-2.jpg 2516w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The results from just the first 12 clinics across five garment factories revealed a staggering, unmet need. More than 2,100 women received comprehensive cervical cancer screening services, many for the first time. Screening identified early cervical abnormalities in over 6% of women, enabling immediate, on-site treatment for approximately half of these early lesions and timely referral for further diagnostic evaluation where needed. Follow-up and continuity of care were supported through partner coordination.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This impact extended beyond the numbers. Over 90% of workers actively joined health education sessions that broke stigma and empowered them with knowledge.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I never considered getting a screening before, even though I had been struggling with health issues,” said a 31-year-old worker who tested positive for pre-cancerous lesions and received care. “The doctor explained everything, and now I feel more at ease. I’m grateful for the opportunity to address my health problems early.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7903\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9-3840x2880.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-9.jpg 4096w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">oplus_0\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Leadership at garment factories and national health leaders recognized the importance of this systems-level thinking. “Hosting this camp showed us how much our workers value their health,” said the Human Resources Manager of Vision Garments Ltd. “It inspired the entire management team.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“As rapid urbanization and climate disruptions strain access to facility-based services, workplace sexual and reproductive health and rights models like Jhpiego’s ensure women receive timely screening and referral without losing a day’s wage or a safe route to care,” said Dr. Abu Hussain Md. Moinul Ahsan, Hospital Director of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). “This is smart public health—and smart for Bangladesh’s economy.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Ayesa Akter Asha, this initiative was more than just a health service—it brought with it a sense of empowerment and control.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I can finally work and care for my children without this constant worry about my health,” she said, smiling. “I feel heard. I feel respected. That is what truly matters.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Thahina Zaman is a Program Officer for Urban Health for Jhpiego Bangladesh\u003C/em>. \u003Cem>Indrani Kashyap, Associate Director for Regional Communications also contributed to this article.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>For 33-year-old Ayesa Akter Asha and many other women like her, a major shift in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry proves that workplace health is central to national resilience.\u003C/p>\n","workplace-health-clinics-lead-to-life-saving-care-in-bangladeshs-garment-factories","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/workplace-health-clinics-lead-to-life-saving-care-in-bangladeshs-garment-factories/","/our-stories/p/workplace-health-clinics-lead-to-life-saving-care-in-bangladeshs-garment-factories/","2026-01-21T16:49:00","2026-01-21T17:36:49",{"id":1064,"src":1065,"width":1066,"height":1067,"alt":18,"caption":1068,"title":1069,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1070,"srcset":1071,"sizes":1072,"meta":1073,"acf":1127},7900,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11.jpg",4096,3072,"Women sign up for a VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) screening camp held on September 9–10, 2025, at Agami Apparels Limited. Photo by Thahina Zaman for Jhpiego.","Bangladesh Ready Made Garment Story_2","\u003Cimg width=\"4096\" height=\"3072\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11.jpg 4096w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-3840x2880.jpg 3840w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4096px) 100vw, 4096px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11.jpg 4096w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Image-11-3840x2880.jpg 3840w","(max-width: 4096px) 100vw, 4096px",{"width":1066,"height":1067,"file":1074,"filesize":1075,"sizes":1076,"imageMeta":1119},"2026/01/Image-11.jpg",3962637,{"medium":1077,"large":1080,"thumbnail":1083,"mediumLarge":1086,"1536x1536":1089,"2048x2048":1092,"postThumbnail":1095,"socialPreview":1098,"smallPreview":1101,"mediumPreview":1104,"largePreview":1107,"fullscreenSmall":1110,"fullscreen":1113,"fullscreenLarge":1116},{"file":1078,"width":31,"height":870,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1079},"Image-11-300x225.jpg",23524,{"file":1081,"width":36,"height":45,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1082},"Image-11-1024x768.jpg",189475,{"file":1084,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1085},"Image-11-150x150.jpg",10280,{"file":1087,"width":45,"height":877,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1088},"Image-11-768x576.jpg",113222,{"file":1090,"width":50,"height":1017,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1091},"Image-11-1536x1152.jpg",379938,{"file":1093,"width":16,"height":50,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1094},"Image-11-2048x1536.jpg",612053,{"file":1096,"width":881,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1097},"Image-11-720x540.jpg",102226,{"file":1099,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1100},"Image-11-1200x630.jpg",186293,{"file":1102,"width":65,"height":888,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1103},"Image-11-375x281.jpg",33579,{"file":1105,"width":70,"height":881,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1106},"Image-11-960x720.jpg",167459,{"file":1108,"width":75,"height":70,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1109},"Image-11-1280x960.jpg",276567,{"file":1111,"width":80,"height":265,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1112},"Image-11-1920x1440.jpg",556710,{"file":1114,"width":231,"height":80,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1115},"Image-11-2560x1920.jpg",893588,{"file":1117,"width":236,"height":1045,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1118},"Image-11-3840x2880.jpg",1682524,{"aperture":1120,"credit":18,"camera":1121,"caption":1122,"createdTimestamp":1123,"copyright":18,"focalLength":1124,"iso":720,"shutterSpeed":1125,"title":1122,"orientation":378,"keywords":1126},"1.8","OPPO Reno14 F 5G","oplus_0","1756293104","4.84","0.025",[],{"primaryColor":1128,"blurhash":1129,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":18,"focalPointY":18},"#c3bdaf","UcJ7]xIoi_o3_NW:WVxu%zaLR*kWxYoMn~Rj",{"id":1131,"guid":1132,"title":1133,"content":1134,"excerpt":1135,"excerptRaw":1135,"slug":1136,"url":1137,"uri":1138,"to":1138,"status":115,"date":1139,"modified":1140,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":1141},7711,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7711","A Stronger Cancer Care Ecosystem in Cambodia Builds a Future Where No Woman is Left Behind","\n\u003Cp>A diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer felt like the world had collapsed under her feet, recalls 40-year-old Phal Sovichea from Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia. “My knees nearly buckled in front of the oncology building. My husband’s face turned pale. He wanted to speak but couldn’t open his mouth. Tears just streamed down,” shared the mother of two, as she envisioned not living to see her daughters grow up. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But luckily, Sovichea had the will, the resources, and the family support to follow through with the treatment. It all started with her feeling a lump in her left breast in February 2024. She traveled to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, to consult a gynecologist. She and her family diligently followed every step, getting an ultrasound and then a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Several rounds of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation followed. Today, Sovichea’s cancer is in remission. She insists that it was her family’s support and the encouragement of skilled doctors that enabled her recovery. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Sovichea recently shared her story at a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting in Phnom Penh organized by Jhpiego in partnership with the Cambodian Ministry of Health. It brought together Ministry of Health officials, provincial leaders, academic and technical experts, donor and local partners, representatives from professional associations of gynecologists and oncologists, and industry experts.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7713\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-2560x1707.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-3840x2560.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor-6016x4011.jpg 6016w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Breast-cancer-survivor.jpg 6796w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I would like to request that the Royal Government, the Ministry of Health (national and sub-national), and partner organizations like Jhpiego establish breast and cervical cancer treatment programs in all provinces throughout the country,” said Sovichea in a powerful message for all in attendance. “This would create opportunities and provide easier access for all at-risk women to receive consultation and treatment.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Sovichea knows that not all Cambodian women have the knowledge, resources, or access to timely cancer detection and treatment. Cancer is now the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.iccp-portal.org/news/new-national-cancer-control-plan-cambodia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">second leading cause of death from non-communicable diseases in Cambodia\u003C/a>, responsible for 14% of all deaths. Women account for over half of new cases (10,624 female cases in 2022) and a similar proportion of deaths. One in every 3 Cambodian women diagnosed with cancer in 2022 had either breast or cervical cancer. Significantly, cancer incidence in Cambodia is rising: if current trends persist, the overall cancer cases are projected to roughly double by 2045 (\u003Ca href=\"https://gco.iarc.fr/tomorrow/en/dataviz/bubbles?types=0&sexes=1_2&mode=population&group_populations=0&multiple_populations=1&multiple_cancers=1&cancers=39&populations=4_31_48_50_51_64_96_104_116_144_160_268_275_356_360_364_368_376_392_398_400_408_410_414_417_418_422_458_462_496_512_524_586_608_626_634_682_702_704_760_762_764_784_792_795_860_887&apc=cat_ca20v1.5_ca23v-1.5&group_cancers=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Globocan, 2022\u003C/a>). \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The Ministry of Health’s vision is clear: reduce the burden of cancer through prevention, early detection, timely diagnosis, and equitable treatment,” said HE Dr. Beauta Rath, Secretary of State for the Cambodian Ministry of Health. “This is captured in our National Cancer Control Plan 2025-2030, launched this year, which lays out concrete, coordinated actions across the continuum of care.”  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7714\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999-811x540.jpg 811w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SOS07999-960x639.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The vision of Cambodia’s National Cancer Control Plan 2025-2030 is for the country to have a low cancer burden and high survival rates, where all people affected by cancer can live with dignity and quality of life. The Plan targets increasing the coverage of cervical cancer screening among women (30-49 years) to 70% by 2030 and improving early detection of breast cancer among high-risk women.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego has been a strong partner to Cambodia’s Ministry of Health, supporting the health and well-being of Cambodians since 2006.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“For the last few years now, Jhpiego has had the privilege of working closely with the Ministry of Health and partners in Cambodia, particularly in areas of maternal and mental health,” said Dr. Parag Bhamare, Technical Lead for Women’s Cancer Global Programs at Jhpiego. “Throughout this journey, one lesson has consistently guided us: progress is strongest when built on partnerships, collaboration, and shared purpose.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The multi-stakeholder consultative meeting concluded with definitive next steps to move the country’s cancer control plan into its implementation phase, including efforts to: \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Establish a cadence of in-person and virtual follow-up meetings to sustain momentum \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Build a community of partners working on women’s cancers to continue dialogue and exchange learnings via an appropriate social media platform \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Set targets for HPV vaccination, cervical screening coverage, and early detection of breast cancer over the next 12 months \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Adopt common referral and feedback loops between primary care and hospitals to reduce waiting times and loss to follow-up \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Launch navigation pilots in selected provinces, with clear metrics for scale-up \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Standardize training and quality assurance for cervical cancer sampling, imaging, and pathology \u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Consolidate a partner investment map aligned to the National Cancer Control Plan 2025-2030, highlighting gaps that need to be collectively filled. \u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Phal Sovichea is hopeful that many more women in Cambodia, like her, will now have the information and timely access to lifesaving cancer care closer to their homes. She had a special message for these women: “Please do not lose hope. You are not alone.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Somontha Koy is the Country Director for Jhpiego Cambodia and Indrani Kashyap is the Associate Director, Regional Communications.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>A diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer felt like the world had collapsed under Sovichea’s feet. But luckily, she had the will, the resources, and the family support to follow through with the treatment. Sovichea recently shared her story at a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting in Phnom Penh, urging leaders and decision-makers to strengthen cancer care in Cambodia.\u003C/p>\n","cancer-care-in-cambodia","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/cancer-care-in-cambodia/","/our-stories/p/cancer-care-in-cambodia/","2025-12-04T15:27:37","2025-12-05T15:49:01",{"id":1142,"src":1143,"width":1144,"height":1145,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1146,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1147,"srcset":1148,"sizes":1149,"meta":1150,"acf":1168},7715,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024.jpg",799,533,"Cambodia_Indrani Kashyap_2024","\u003Cimg width=\"799\" height=\"533\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-375x250.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024.jpg 799w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-375x250.jpg 375w","(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px",{"width":1144,"height":1145,"file":1151,"filesize":1152,"sizes":1153,"imageMeta":1166},"2025/12/Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024.jpg",193500,{"medium":1154,"thumbnail":1157,"mediumLarge":1160,"smallPreview":1163},{"file":1155,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1156},"Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-300x200.jpg",27515,{"file":1158,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1159},"Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-150x150.jpg",13587,{"file":1161,"width":45,"height":341,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1162},"Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-768x512.jpg",120322,{"file":1164,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1165},"Cambodia_Indrani-Kashyap_2024-375x250.jpg",38964,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":84,"keywords":1167},[],{"primaryColor":1169,"blurhash":1170},"#424241","UOF$no~ps%t.^I-.%geSXjtSogRjxvVtIANK",{"id":1172,"guid":1173,"title":1174,"content":1175,"excerpt":1176,"excerptRaw":1176,"slug":1177,"url":1178,"uri":1179,"to":1179,"status":115,"date":1180,"modified":1181,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":1182},7407,"https://jhpiego.org/?p=7407","A Lifesaving Ally: ALAVI Protects Women with HIV From Cervical Cancer in Burkina Faso","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7409\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-300x180.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-768x460.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-1536x920.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-2048x1227.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-901x540.jpg 901w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-375x225.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-960x575.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-1280x767.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-1920x1151.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1-2560x1534.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-1.jpg 3264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Happy to have escaped cervical cancer, which would have been fatal in the long term, Martine is very impressed by thermocoagulation, a technique that is well mastered by ALAVI’s health workers, much to the delight of many women.  \u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Burkina Faso, cervical cancer remains the second deadliest cancer among women. According to the World Health Organization, 11 percent of new cancer cases in 2022 were cervical cancer, and of the 6,654 cancer deaths, 775 were attributed to cervical cancer.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Cervical cancer affects women living with HIV more severely; cervical precancer is six times more likely to develop into cancer. Due to limited accessibility to screening services, women with HIV are at higher risk of discovering their cancer at an advanced stage, with limited and costly treatment options.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We used to see women [coming in for HIV/AIDS care] who had advanced cervical cancer,” said Dr. Ousséini Gansonré, a physician at the Association Laafi La Viim (ALAVI), a community organization fighting HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso. “If we had had the technical skills and adequate material resources, we could have saved many of these women through early detection and treatment of the precancerous lesions they were developing.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With the aim of ensuring women have equitable access to quality health care provided by competent and caring professionals, Jhpiego, through the Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) Project funded by the Unitaid investment and in partnership with Expertise France and the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), implemented services in Burkina Faso.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>SUCCESS has contributed to reducing morbidity and mortality related to cervical cancer in six regions of Burkina Faso by improving access to cervical cancer screening services, including human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA)—a low-cost cervical cancer screening method, and treatment by thermal ablation of precancerous lesions of the cervix.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Ouagadougou, ALAVI is one of nine community organizations that received capacity-building training from the SUCCESS Project to:\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>Raise awareness and create increased demand for cervical cancer prevention.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Promote behaviors that contribute to the elimination of cervical cancer in the community.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Support the implementation of innovative secondary prevention approaches (HPV testing and thermal ablation).\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Adapt and integrate innovative approaches into existing HIV services for the screening and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“In our communities, especially among the vast majority of women with HIV, when we brought up the issue of cancer with them, fear immediately set in because, if they tested positive, it would be another burden they would have to bear,” said Ms. Francine Ouédraogo, ALAVI Coordinator. “But thanks to the training provided by SUCCESS, we were able to easily raise awareness in communities, which helped to dispel their fears and encouraged them to agree to be tested at our health facility or by themselves, using the self-sampling technique we taught them.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Many women opt to self-sample, and it is recommended by health workers because of its many advantages.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7413\" style=\"width:595px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-1280x853.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Samples of self-collected precancerous lesions sent to ALAVI for analysis.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Self-sampling not only avoids long queues at health centers but also removes barriers that prevent some women from going to the hospital, including the fear that a male provider will perform the vaginal swab,” said Dr. Claude Linda Traoré, Jhpiego’s Project Manager for the SUCCESS Project in Burkina Faso.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After women participate in an awareness session, they are eligible for self-sampling and conduct the procedure at home.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The health workers showed me how to take a vaginal sample myself, which I did,” said Jeanne*, a 48-year-old woman living with HIV. “I then took the sample to the ALAVI health center for analysis.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After testing positive and undergoing VIA to reveal precancerous lesions, Jeanne was treated with thermal ablation. “I am already living with HIV, and if cervical cancer had been added to that, I would have been heading for certain death,” said Jeanne. “The test saved my life.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Collaboration with the SUCCESS Project has enabled ALAVI’s medical staff to improve their expertise in managing precancerous lesions. With enhanced skills and equipment for detecting and treating precancerous lesions, ALAVI’s medical staff now welcome women for cervical cancer screening. They diagnose precancerous lesions in women living with HIV who come to them. Those who test positive receive appropriate care, including thermocoagulation, if needed.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"614\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-1024x614.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7411\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-1024x614.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-300x180.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-768x460.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-1536x920.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-2048x1227.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-901x540.jpg 901w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-375x225.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-960x575.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-1280x767.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-1920x1151.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2-2560x1534.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI-Story_Burkina-Faso-2.jpg 3264w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Partnership with the SUCCESS Project has made ALAVI a leader in the prevention and treatment of precancerous lesions.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“In addition to our own patients, we also receive patients referred by other health centers for treatment by thermocoagulation because our expertise is recognized by these centers,” says Dr. Gansonré. “Thermocoagulation has revolutionized the treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix. It is easy to perform, and our patients are very receptive to it.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of precancerous lesions, thermocoagulation is a life-saving technology because it is portable, runs on inexpensive batteries, and is easy to use.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The ALAVI medical team has screened more than 1,000 women, 200 of whom were treated using thermal ablation to remove precancerous lesions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp> \u003Cem>*Name has been changed for confidentiality.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Souleymane Zare is a communications specialist for Jhpiego in Burkina Faso.\u003C/em> \u003Cem>Tracey Shissler, the SUCCESS/Jhpiego Program Director, reviewed this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Collaboration with the SUCCESS Project has enabled ALAVI’s medical staff to improve their expertise in managing precancerous lesions. With enhanced skills and equipment for detecting and treating precancerous lesions, ALAVI’s medical staff now welcome women for cervical cancer screening.\u003C/p>\n","a-lifesaving-ally-alavi-protects-women-with-hiv-from-cervical-cancer-in-burkina-faso","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-lifesaving-ally-alavi-protects-women-with-hiv-from-cervical-cancer-in-burkina-faso/","/our-stories/p/a-lifesaving-ally-alavi-protects-women-with-hiv-from-cervical-cancer-in-burkina-faso/","2025-11-05T07:02:02","2025-11-06T21:15:04",{"id":1183,"src":1184,"width":16,"height":940,"alt":18,"caption":1185,"title":1186,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1187,"srcset":1188,"sizes":24,"meta":1189,"acf":1228},7413,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/ALAVI_Story_Secondary-Image_Burkina-Faso.jpg","Samples of self-collected precancerous lesions sent to ALAVI for analysis","ALAVI_Story_Secondary Image_Burkina Faso","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" 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turning point for women’s health in Pakistan","\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Starting this week, the nation’s daughters will be shielded from a brutal and preventable disease, and we’re glad to play our part in the campaign.\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/turning-point-womens-health-pakistan\">This article was originally published on VaccinesWork by Gavi\u003C/a>\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6591\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">HPV vaccine launch. Credit: Zeeshan Noor, Jhpiego\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Every girl deserves the chance to grow up healthy, safe, and free from the shadow of a preventable disease. In Pakistan, cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among women of reproductive age. About 5,000 new cases and more than 3,000 deaths from the disease are reported each year, though the actual burden is likely to be higher.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The World Health Organization (WHO) has set out a global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, and around 150 countries worldwide, including many low- and middle-income countries, have already made progress through national vaccination programmes against the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is the underlying cause of the vast majority of cases of cervical cancer.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This week, Pakistan joined them, launching the first wave of its nationwide, public HPV vaccination campaign.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A historic campaign\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Between 15 and 27 September 2025, more than 13 million girls aged 9 to 14 across Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir will be eligible to benefit from a life-saving vaccine that can protect them from future cervical cancer. The nationwide roll-out, slated to expand to 3.2 million more girls in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2026, and to 1.4 million girls in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan in 2027, is a collective statement that the country will no longer accept deaths from a disease from which nobody needs to suffer.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A collective responsibility\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I view this not just as a campaign, but as a national responsibility. Together, we can ensure that no girl in Pakistan is left vulnerable to a cancer we have the means to prevent, and that begins with your continued support, inside and outside your clinics,” said Dr Soofia Yunus, Director General, Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI), speaking at an FDI and Foundation University of Health Sciences Seminar on Cervical Cancer Free Pakistan.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This nationwide HPV vaccination campaign marks a turning point for women’s health in Pakistan,” said Dr Aminah Khan, Country Director, Jhpiego Pakistan. “By introducing a life-saving vaccine and embedding it into the national immunisation system, we are acting on the best global evidence to prevent thousands of avoidable cases of cervical cancer in the decades to come.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building trust while thwarting myths and misconceptions\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Successfully launching a vaccine is all about trust and understanding. In preparation, Jhpiego led a nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours (KAB) survey, reaching 4,682 caregivers of girls aged 9–14 in every province and region across the country.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Our findings were sobering. Only 19% of caregivers had even heard of cervical cancer. Just 5% had heard of HPV, and a mere 2% knew there was a vaccine that could prevent it. Among those who had heard of cervical cancer, misconceptions ran deep: 32% percent blamed poor hygiene, 19% believed it spreads from mother to child, and 20% percent thought unsafe sexual practices were to blame; only 9% correctly named HPV infection as the cause.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“By introducing a life-saving vaccine and embedding it into the national immunisation system, we are acting on the best global evidence to prevent thousands of avoidable cases of cervical cancer in the decades to come.” \u003Cem>– Dr Aminah Khan, Country Director, Jhpiego Pakistan\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Even among the small group familiar with HPV, 64% knew it leads to cervical cancer, yet half mistakenly believed there is a cure.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>And there were some interesting differences, province to province, in popular understandings of the cancer and its causes. These are insights that can now shape communication strategies: addressing misconceptions and strengthening vaccine confidence will bolster the reach of the campaign.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“These findings are a wake-up call. With awareness of HPV so low, our priority is to build trust and address misconceptions through clear, evidence-based communication. This data guides us in shaping messages and partnerships that give every parent the confidence to protect their daughters against cervical cancer,” says Dilbar Khan, Project Lead, Jhpiego.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Strong partnerships and collaboration are critical for success\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To make sure every girl can get protected, a broad church of partners – the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, The FDI, provincial health departments, Jhpiego, Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and partners – have helped design an inclusive service delivery model. Vaccines will be administered in a variety of locations: schools, fixed Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) centres, temporary outreach sites in villages and urban settlements. And girls who might still otherwise be left out will be reached by mobile teams.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Only 19% of caregivers had even heard of cervical cancer. Just 5% had heard of HPV, and a mere 2% knew there was a vaccine that could prevent it.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Behind those teams is a carefully trained network of vaccinators, assistants, and social mobilisers – Lady Health Workers, community volunteers, and local leaders – each ready to ensure the vaccine is well-handled, the cold chain is maintained and no eligible girl is missed.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With timely vaccination, we can protect millions of girls before they are ever exposed to the virus, before the disease can take hold. But for this vision to become a reality, every one of us must play a role. We (the parents, doctors, religious leaders, lawyers, teachers, students, journalists, health forums, CSOs, NGOs, government inline departments and people from other walks of life) collectively must play our role to open doors for our daughters to a healthy future, free from fear and disease,” said Dr Khurram Shahzad, Director Technical at FDI.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Engaging influencers and opinion-shapers to support the campaign\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Recognising that information is as critical to a successful vaccine introduction as infrastructure, Jhpiego has also been investing in the people who shape public opinion.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Teachers across Sindh and Punjab were among the first we reached out to. Together with provincial health leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs) and partner agencies, they learned how best to counter myths with culturally sensitive messages and to ensure that girls – whether in school or out – were reached.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With awareness of HPV so low, our priority is to build trust and address misconceptions through clear, evidence-based communication.” \u003Cem>– Dilbar Khan, Project Lead, Jhpiego\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>CSOs have been prepared through a first-of-its-kind national orientation program: they’ve been equipped with dynamic manuals and simulation exercises to help them to both mobilise communities and sustain demand for the vaccine well beyond the initial campaign, as well as document their outreach work.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We also conducted a nationwide series of briefings for journalists from print, television, and digital outlets. Disease and vaccination are highly technical subjects, and the media needs to be well-informed to be capable of reporting responsibly.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>These sessions not only built understanding of the HPV vaccine’s life-saving potential, but also strengthened journalists’ capacity to assess and parry myths and misinformation. By fostering open dialogue between health experts and the press, the initiative helped ensure that accurate, evidence-based and timely information reached families in every community.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">An animated explainer video for all\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego also launched Pakistan’s first-ever animated awareness \u003Ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5omeOtj8VG0&t=84s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">video\u003C/a> on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a user-friendly means of making life-saving information available to the people who need it. The video takes viewers through the vital basics: how HPV spreads, why vaccination matters, and that the evidence tells us that the HPV vaccine is a safe, effective solution for protecting future generations.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The big risk is that in a knowledge vacuum, misinformation or simple confusion can grow and reduce families’ confidence in a vaccine that we know from hundreds of millions of doses given worldwide, is truly very safe and effective. I am pleased that the communication materials Jhpiego is supporting start with education on the cancer, its screening and treatment, as well as giving critically important advice on vaccination,” says Chris Morgan, Technical Director, Immunization, Jhpiego.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Building a coalition of trust\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>From classrooms to community halls, from newsrooms to the smallest rural clinics, this campaign is building a coalition of trust. It is a movement that combines evidence and empathy, planning and passion. And it is a promise, to our daughters and to the generations to follow, that Pakistan will protect women from a disease we can prevent.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“With timely vaccination, we can protect millions of girls before they are ever exposed to the virus, before the disease can take hold. But for this vision to become a reality, every one of us must play a role.” \u003Cem>– Dr Khurram Shahzad, Director Technical at FDI\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Reaching 13 million girls in two weeks is a task we know will challenge the provincial immunisation programmes, but our work over the last many months has shown us the programmes leading the charge have the commitment to persevere.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We’ve also seen that the magnitude of work to build trust, bridge the knowledge gap and counter misinformation is considerable. But Pakistan has a broad alliance of partners committed to overcoming these challenges.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>By uniting government leadership, global partners, educators, civil society, professional and medical associations, and the media, and by grounding every decision in data and dialogue, The Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the FDI, provincial health departments, Jhpiego, Gavi, WHO, UNICEF, and partners are helping Pakistan take a decisive step toward WHO’s 2030 goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Equally important will be sustaining this progress by embedding HPV vaccination into routine immunisation, and ensuring that protection extends to all eligible girls in the years ahead.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Starting this week, the nation’s daughters will be shielded from a brutal and preventable disease, and we’re glad to play…\u003C/p>\n","a-turning-point-for-womens-health-in-pakistan","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/a-turning-point-for-womens-health-in-pakistan/","/our-stories/p/a-turning-point-for-womens-health-in-pakistan/","2025-09-18T19:37:46","2025-09-19T00:15:46",{"id":1243,"src":1244,"width":60,"height":1245,"alt":18,"caption":1246,"title":1247,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1248,"srcset":1249,"sizes":127,"meta":1250,"acf":1280},6591,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg",800,"HPV vaccine launch. Credit: Zeeshan Noor, Jhpiego\n","hpv-launch_ajaved","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1-960x640.jpg 960w",{"width":60,"height":1245,"file":1251,"filesize":1252,"sizes":1253,"imageMeta":1278},"2025/09/hpv-launch_ajaved-1.jpg",173378,{"medium":1254,"large":1257,"thumbnail":1260,"mediumLarge":1263,"postThumbnail":1266,"socialPreview":1269,"smallPreview":1272,"mediumPreview":1275},{"file":1255,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1256},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-300x200.jpg",23184,{"file":1258,"width":36,"height":334,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1259},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1024x683.jpg",184646,{"file":1261,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1262},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-150x150.jpg",9549,{"file":1264,"width":45,"height":341,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1265},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-768x512.jpg",116152,{"file":1267,"width":352,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1268},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-810x540.jpg",127761,{"file":1270,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1271},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-1200x630.jpg",200765,{"file":1273,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1274},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-375x250.jpg",34174,{"file":1276,"width":70,"height":362,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1277},"hpv-launch_ajaved-1-960x640.jpg",164914,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":84,"keywords":1279},[],{"primaryColor":1281,"blurhash":1282},"#36303c","UWE{YC$x$JxaBaoZw?oyo%s+R$s-t8oJoKxD",{"id":1284,"guid":1285,"title":1286,"content":1287,"excerpt":1288,"excerptRaw":1288,"slug":1289,"url":1290,"uri":1291,"to":1291,"status":115,"date":1292,"modified":1293,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":1294},6255,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=6255","From Streets to Labs: Three Motorcycle Drivers Link Women to Lifesaving Cancer Screening Results","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6270\" style=\"width:561px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-2560x1920.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short-3840x2880.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/For-Bonn-Levi-and-Ferdinand-the-samples-they-carry-today-could-mean-the-difference-between-early-treatment-and-a-life-cut-short.jpg 4032w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">For Bonn, Levi, and Ferdinand, the samples they carry today could mean the difference between early treatment and a life cut short.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>It’s mid-afternoon in Quezon City, Philippines, and Bonn Martin Pagatpat is weaving his motorcycle through the narrow streets, past tricycles and jeepneys, with a bright yellow biohazard bag strapped securely inside a thermal carrier. The contents are precious: self-collected cervical cancer screening samples from women in the community, bound for the city health laboratory.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Time matters. If samples don’t arrive before the 3 PM lab cut-off, results will be delayed, and women will wait longer for answers that could save their lives. Proper handling with minimal contact and sharing results within one week are essential, even if samples remain viable for up to three months.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is no ordinary delivery job. Bonn is part of the Cervical Cancer Riding Service for Transport of Specimen (CeCaRTS) initiative. This pilot project, which is led by Jhpiego, is part of larger efforts aimed at preventing cervical cancer among women in the archipelago by facilitating timely screening and treatment of precancerous lesions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For the last four years, in partnership with the Department of Health, local governments, civil society and community-based organizations, and communities, the Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) project (funded by Unitaid’s cervical cancer investment) and the Centralized Laboratory Model for HPV Screening (CLAMS) project have reached more than 45,000 Filipino women with free human papillomavirus (HPV) screening, treatment, and education.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-1024x575.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6274\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-300x168.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-768x431.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-2048x1150.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-960x539.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-375x211.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-1280x719.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-1920x1078.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-2560x1437.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_-3840x2156.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Specimens-are-disinfected-labeled-and-packed-following-strict-safety-protocols-before-being-collected-by-CeCaRTS-riders_.jpg 6000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Specimens are disinfected, labeled, and packed following strict safety protocols before being collected by CeCaRTS riders. Photo by Geri Matthew Carretero.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The CeCaRTS drivers are the often-unseen link that keeps the system moving, ensuring that samples from screening sites, pharmacies, and outreach events arrive safely and on time to laboratories, and that results find their way back to clinics.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>A Preventable Killer\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the Philippines, claiming the lives of 12 Filipino women every day. Globally, more than 300,000 women die from the disease each year, mostly in low- and middle-income countries. These lives are lost despite the disease being highly preventable through HPV vaccination, regular screening, and timely treatment of precancerous lesions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>HPV causes the vast majority of cervical cancers, and HPV molecular testing is the gold standard for detecting high-risk types. Yet in many communities, access to screening is hampered by distance, cost, stigma, and logistical barriers. This is where CeCaRTS steps in, addressing one of the least glamorous but most critical gaps: safe, timely, and efficient specimen transportation.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>From Typhoon Relief to Health Courier\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Bonn Martin, 38, from Pasig City, has always found himself in service-oriented roles. He volunteered after Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), distributing seedlings, helping patients at medical missions, and even ferrying blood samples to Tacloban.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6275\" style=\"width:406px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat-2560x3413.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bonn-Martin-Pagatpat.jpg 3024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bonn Martin Pagatpat. Photo by Geri Matthew Carretero.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Bonn now collects HPV screening specimens and returns laboratory results for the Southstar Drug Store branches—one of the largest and oldest pharmacy chains in the Philippines—as well as for the Women Workers for Health and Empowerment Network (WHEN) community outreach events—all part of the SUCCESS project’s community-based efforts. Typically, facilities in the health system do not require additional specimen transportation support, but CeCaRTS has become a necessity due to high volumes.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Bonn’s work demands precision. Every specimen is packaged in compliance with biosafety standards, disinfected, double-bagged, and kept stable in a thermal waterproof carrier. Drivers receive personal protective equipment and training on safe handling, including the use of alcohol, gloves, and disinfectants.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6271\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/HPV-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Yuseco-branch-properly-labeled-and-packed-for-timely-pick-up-and-processing.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">HPV specimens from South Star Drug Store Yuseco branch, properly labeled and packed for timely pick-up and processing. Photo by Geri Matthew Carretero.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6268\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Collected-HPV-screening-specimens-from-South-Star-Drug-Store-Robinsons-Branch-in-Novaliches-Quezon-City-ready-for-laboratory-transport.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Collected HPV screening specimens from South Star Drug Store Robinsons Branch in Novaliches Quezon City, ready for laboratory transport. Photo by Geri Matthew Carretero.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Bonn, the impact is clear. “Screening is a big help because it’s within reach for women. I encourage my wife to get screened regularly,” he says.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Learning the Language of Prevention\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>An hour away from Bonn, Levi Lucky Ybera, 42, balances running a small eatery with his work as a CeCaRTS driver in Parañaque City. His background in pharmaceutical deliveries and familiarity with the area make him an efficient link between screening sites and labs.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6273\" style=\"width:354px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera-2560x3413.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Levi-Lucky-Ybera.jpg 3024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Levi Lucky Ybera. Photo by Geri Matthew Carretero.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Before CeCaRTS, Levi knew little about cervical cancer. Now, he can explain its prevention to friends and customers.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Levi works closely with Jhpiego’s partner women’s organizations, like WHEN and the Association of Positive Women Advocates, Inc. With one day’s notice, these organizations text Levi a schedule, venue, and drop-off point.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Levi, the job is about more than just income. “I was able to buy my child’s school uniform and earn extra money,” he says. “But I also get educated. Of course, I encourage my wife to get screened.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>The Connector in Navotas\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>About two hours away from Bonn and Levi, Ferdinand Glinoga, 49, from Navotas City, used to earn his living as a motorcycle taxi driver, ferrying commuters on two wheels, and as a Lalamove driver, delivering goods and packages across Metro Manila.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6269\" style=\"width:386px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-1280x1707.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-1920x2560.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga-2560x3413.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ferdinand-Glinoga.jpg 3024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ferdinand Glinoga\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now, his routes take him from Southstar Drug Store in Yuseco, Manila, to the Likhaan Center for Women’s Health Inc. in Malabon, and then to the Navotas City Health Clinical and Molecular Lab, delivering screening results back to clinics as needed.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Like Bonn and Levi, this work has made an impact on him. “I learned how to be aware of HPV and how to prevent it. I even apply what I learned at home by practicing proper hygiene and encouraging my female family members to get screened,” he says.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>More Than Couriers\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What unites Bonn, Levi, and Ferdinand is not just their commitment to safe sample deliveries; it is their role as male advocates for women’s health. In a culture where reproductive health is often seen as “women’s business,” their presence sends a quiet but powerful message: men, too, have a stake in prevention.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>They encourage their wives to get screened and daughters to get vaccinated, talk openly about HPV, and share what they’ve learned in their communities.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The role of husbands and men is important in this,” Bonn says. “This is not just a woman’s responsibility.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Riding Toward Elimination\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Globally, the World Health Organization aims to eliminate cervical cancer as the first cancer, with countries striving to achieve the global “90-70-90” targets: 90% of girls fully vaccinated by age 15, 70% of women screened between the ages of 35 and 45, and 90% of those diagnosed with precancer or cancer receiving treatment. This community-based self-sampling model within SUCCESS provides local health systems with new possibilities as they move into HPV screening.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In the Philippines, eliminating cervical cancer will require more than medical infrastructure. It will take community partnerships, trained health workers, and, yes, dedicated drivers like Bonn, Levi, and Ferdinand.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This article is based on interviews with CeCaRTS drivers conducted on August 6, 2025.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Geri Matthew Carretero is a Communications and KM Officer in Jhpiego’s Philippines\u003C/em> \u003Cem>office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Tracey Shissler is the SUCCESS/Jhpiego Program Director and \u003Cem>Parag Bhamare is Associate Director and Technical Lead for Women’s Cancers\u003C/em>.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Bonn, Levi, and Ferdinand are part of the Cervical Cancer Riding Service for Transport of Specimen (CeCaRTS) initiative. This pilot project, which is led by Jhpiego, is part of larger efforts aimed at preventing cervical cancer among women in the archipelago by facilitating timely screening and treatment of precancerous lesions.\u003C/p>\n","from-streets-to-labs-three-motorcycle-drivers-link-women-to-lifesaving-cancer-screening-results","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/from-streets-to-labs-three-motorcycle-drivers-link-women-to-lifesaving-cancer-screening-results/","/our-stories/p/from-streets-to-labs-three-motorcycle-drivers-link-women-to-lifesaving-cancer-screening-results/","2025-09-08T17:46:14","2025-10-24T18:08:24",{"id":1295,"src":1296,"width":16,"height":940,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1297,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1298,"srcset":1299,"sizes":24,"meta":1300,"acf":1340},6697,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo.jpg","Manila Philippines - From Streets to Labs Feature Photo","\u003Cimg width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Manila-Philippines-From-Streets-to-Labs-Feature-Photo-810x540.jpg 810w, 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Karen Kasmauski",[],{"primaryColor":1341,"blurhash":1342,"videoUrl":18,"focalPointX":18,"focalPointY":18},"#303333","UPGSAZt7fl?b-;xut7RP.8tRRjS2~qoft7oz",{"id":1344,"guid":1345,"title":1346,"content":1347,"excerpt":1348,"excerptRaw":1348,"slug":1349,"url":1350,"uri":1351,"to":1351,"status":115,"date":1352,"modified":1353,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1354},3140,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3140","Transforming Lives Through Resilience","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>One nurse’s story to increase cervical cancer prevention among the Maya women of Guatemala’s Western Highlands\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Ana María Barrios\u003C/strong>, a nurse with nearly three decades of public health service, is transforming cervical cancer prevention efforts in Guatemala’s Western Highlands, especially among Maya communities.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Through the \u003Cstrong>SUCCESS project\u003C/strong>, over \u003Cstrong>10,000 HPV tests\u003C/strong> have been delivered in Quetzaltenango, advancing early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Ana María has trained facilitators in all \u003Cstrong>24 health districts\u003C/strong> she oversees, expanding access to care—including \u003Cstrong>self-sampling in rural areas\u003C/strong>.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>This work demonstrates how \u003Cstrong>community-based, locally-led health strategies\u003C/strong> can deliver life-saving care and resilience in the face of health inequities.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Licenciada Ana María Barrios, seño Ana María\" class=\"wp-image-3142\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-225x300.jpg 225w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-405x540.jpg 405w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-375x500.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02-960x1280.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-02.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Licenciada Ana María Barrios, \u003Cem>seño Ana María\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With 28 years of service in Guatemala’s public health system, Licenciada Ana María Barrios, \u003Cem>seño Ana María \u003C/em>as she is referred to, has dedicated the last nine years of her career to the fight against cervical cancer. Ana María is the head of the Cervical Cancer division at the Departmental Directorate of Integrated Health Services Networks in Quetzaltenango, the Western Highlands region of Guatemala. Her tireless work has changed the lives of many women of the three ethnic groups there: Ladino, K’iche’ Maya, and Mam Maya; providing quality care and promoting early detection of cervical cancer.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Guatemala, cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in women. Lack of information, limited access to health services and fear of diagnosis have hindered preventive screening as well as early detection of the disease. Ana María, marked by the loss of her sister to breast cancer, found a mission in her work: to prevent other families from going through the same pain.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since assuming the role as head of the cervical cancer division, Ana María has worked in education and prevention, bringing information to rural communities and promoting the importance of cervical cancer screening. As a nurse and university professor, she has trained new generations of health professionals to ensure the continuity of her legacy.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"400\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Ana-Maria-Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3145\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Ana-Maria-Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-01.jpg 550w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Ana-Maria-Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-01-300x218.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Ana-Maria-Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-01-375x273.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Ana Maria carrying out promotion and sensitization of the test at the community level in homes.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Thanks to her dedication and because of other nurses like Ana María, more and more women in Quetzaltenango have access to cervical cancer prevention through screening for the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes most types of cervical cancers, and to early precancerous treatment. Quetzaltenango’s current screening goal is 48,854 women, representing 70% of all women between the ages of 25 and 54.\u003Ca> \u003C/a>Her commitment has strengthened the confidence of patients and their families in health services, demonstrating that with adequate information and care, cervical cancer can be prevented and treated in time.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>In Quetzaltenango, the SUCCESS project has contributed 10,540 HPV tests as a primary screening method from June 2021 to December 2024. SUCCESS is funded through investment from Unitaid. Expertise France is the lead partner and Jhpiego the country implementation and research partner, including Guatemala.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ana María oversees the 24 health districts within Quetzaltenango department and she has trained cervical cancer facilitators in each one to ensure quality care for women at the municipal and community level. Her leadership has been key to strengthening the cervical cancer prevention and treatment network in the region and to the introduction of community based self-sampling in rural areas.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3146\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Ana Maria provides counseling on the benefits of DNA HPV screening at the Quetzaltenango Health Center.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Ana María’s commitment has also improved the confidence of patients and their families in health services, demonstrating that with information and proper care, cervical cancer can be prevented and treated. Her empathy and dedication to service have been fundamental in building trust with patients. Her focus on education and continuing education has also allowed her to transmit her knowledge and values to new generations of health professionals. In addition, her work in the community has included partnerships with local actors as a way to strengthen access to health care in rural areas. Offering tests through home visits and workshops has increased access to HPV testing for women in the region.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The SUCCESS project has supported Ana María, her team, and others in the country by providing updated tools for the prevention and treatment of cervical precancer locally and nationally. Thanks to this support, more effective strategies have been implemented and informed through local design to reach the most vulnerable communities and improve access to health services.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"326\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-1024x326.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3148\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-1024x326.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-300x96.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-768x245.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-960x306.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04-375x120.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-04.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transforming lives through resilience\u003C/h4>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This is more than a phrase for Ana María; it is her philosophy of life. Her daily effort not only impacts her patients, but inspires future generations of health professionals. Her story demonstrates that dedication and commitment can make a difference in the lives of many people, building a more respectful and accessible health care system for all.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Fernando Arévalo was a Senior Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist for Jhpiego Guatemala and Aura Arévalo is a Monitoring & Evaluation Officer for the SUCCESS Project. Photographs by Aura Arevalo and Paulina Navarro for Jhpiego.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This story was reviewed by Tracey Shissler, Project Director for the SUCCESS Project.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>One nurse’s story to increase cervical cancer prevention among the Maya women of Guatemala’s Western Highlands.\u003C/p>\n","transforming-lives-through-resilience","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/transforming-lives-through-resilience/","/our-stories/p/transforming-lives-through-resilience/","2025-06-27T17:03:54","2025-08-05T17:24:46",{"id":1355,"src":1356,"width":1357,"height":60,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1358,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1359,"srcset":1360,"sizes":1361,"meta":1362,"acf":1398},3146,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg",1600,"Barrios-Transforming Lives Through Resilience-03","\u003Cimg width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg 1600w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1280x960.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg 1600w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1280x960.jpg 1280w","(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px",{"width":1357,"height":60,"file":1363,"filesize":1364,"sizes":1365,"imageMeta":1396},"2025/08/Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03.jpg",351111,{"medium":1366,"large":1369,"thumbnail":1372,"mediumLarge":1375,"1536x1536":1378,"postThumbnail":1381,"socialPreview":1384,"smallPreview":1387,"mediumPreview":1390,"largePreview":1393},{"file":1367,"width":31,"height":870,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1368},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-300x225.jpg",18481,{"file":1370,"width":36,"height":45,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1371},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1024x768.jpg",161226,{"file":1373,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1374},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-150x150.jpg",7437,{"file":1376,"width":45,"height":877,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1377},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-768x576.jpg",95984,{"file":1379,"width":50,"height":1017,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1380},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1536x1152.jpg",324645,{"file":1382,"width":881,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1383},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-720x540.jpg",85924,{"file":1385,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1386},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1200x630.jpg",150180,{"file":1388,"width":65,"height":888,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1389},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-375x281.jpg",27022,{"file":1391,"width":70,"height":881,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1392},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-960x720.jpg",144457,{"file":1394,"width":75,"height":70,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1395},"Barrios-Transforming-Lives-Through-Resilience-03-1280x960.jpg",237121,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":84,"keywords":1397},[],{"primaryColor":1399,"blurhash":1400},"#423a3b","UNH-=FL1.l~C~qTII;$*.8Mx$ja2?bRj%1wf",{"id":1402,"guid":1403,"title":1404,"content":1405,"excerpt":1406,"excerptRaw":1406,"slug":1407,"url":1408,"uri":1409,"to":1409,"status":115,"date":1410,"modified":1411,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1412},3610,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3610","Self-Care for Cervical Cancer Prevention","\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mobile screenings in the Philippines are saving lives.\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>In the Philippines, \u003Cstrong>cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer,\u003C/strong> killing 12 Filipino women every day. After seeing a Facebook post about a mobile screening for cervical cancer, high school teacher \u003Cstrong>Joyce Caubat attended a mobile screening where she learned about HPV and the self-collection process.\u003C/strong> Joyce tested positive for HPV and \u003Cstrong>received free treatment for precancerous lesions,\u003C/strong> marking the beginning of her advocacy journey. Now, she encourages other women to attend similar screenings. \u003Cstrong>The SUCCESS project, supported by Jhpiego and the Philippines Department of Health, has helped over 45,000 women\u003C/strong> access vital cervical cancer screenings and treatment.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"504\" height=\"493\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3611\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat.jpg 504w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-300x293.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-375x367.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Joyce-Caubat\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>Despite her initial concerns about the privacy, accuracy, and safety of the mobile screening set up at a community civic center in Quezon City, she was surprised to find that the HPV DNA testing involved self-collection. After registration, she received a self-collection kit containing a swab, tube, and collection cup, along with instructions on how to conduct the test in a small tent. She then submitted the specimen to the community health worker, who informed her of the next steps. She found the process safe, smooth, and empowering. This decision marked her first step on a journey that would not only help her take charge of her health but also enable her to advocate for other women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3612\" style=\"width:500px\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-540x540.jpg 540w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-375x375.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/WHEN-Post-June-10-1024x1024-1-960x960.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Facebook post from the Women Workers for Health Empowerment Network (similar to the one Joyce saw) encouraging women to attend a screening for cervical cancer.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“I told my co-teachers about it right after,” said Joyce. “I explained to them that it was not complicated and didn’t take much time. There was also a short briefing about cervical cancer, and they provided us with information about the prevention and treatment of precancerous lesions, which was helpful.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Using the latest HPV DNA testing technology, Joyce is just one of many women in her community who performed HPV self-sampling. This is part of a larger national effort by the Department of Health, supported by partners like Jhpiego and community organizations, to introduce HPV molecular testing as a secondary prevention strategy, which focuses on early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"3613\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3613\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5634-2-1-1024x576-1-375x211.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-id=\"3614\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3614\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5653-1-1024x683-1-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"3616\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3616\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5671-2-1-1024x576-1-375x211.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"3615\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3615\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1-960x540.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/IMG_5673-2-1-1024x576-1-375x211.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A mobile screening in the Philippines similar to the one Joyce attended.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Self-sampling is increasingly more accessible to women in communities across the country. It demystifies and simplifies cervical cancer screening and encourages self-care and proactive health-seeking behavior, making lifesaving screening more accessible, acceptable, and empowering for women across the Philippines.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The Pathway to Care: From screening to treatment\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After submitting her sample at the community civic center, Joyce received her results via text message. “My results said that I tested positive for HPV,” said Joyce. “The doctor explained that while it doesn’t mean I have cervical cancer, it’s a warning that I could develop it if left untreated.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After receiving her results, Joyce went to a health facility in Batasan, Quezon City for treatment. There, she underwent thermal ablation—a safe and effective method to treat precancerous lesions using extreme heat to destroy precancerous lesions. “The doctor and nurse were very accommodating, and thankfully, the treatment was free,” said Joyce.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3617\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1-768x513.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1-808x540.jpg 808w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/A-self-sampling-kit.-Photo-by-Karen-Kasmauski-for-Jhpiego-1024x684-1-960x641.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A self-sampling kit. Photo by Karen Kasmauski for Jhpiego.\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>More than 45,000 women have benefited from Jhpiego’s work on the Scale-up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) and Centralized Laboratory Model for HPV DNA Screening (CLAMS) projects over the past four years. Jhpiego works in partnership with the Philippines Department of Health, local governments, civil society, community organizations, and the private sector to increase access to screening and treatment technologies by addressing barriers to cervical cancer care, such as service delivery gaps, fragmented prevention efforts and lack of access, and low health-seeking behavior among women.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>\u003Cem>Funded by Unitaid and led by Expertise France, the \u003Cstrong>SUCCESS Project\u003C/strong> aims to eliminate cervical cancer through secondary prevention in the Philippines and three other countries. The project has expanded cervical cancer prevention and precancer treatment services in collaboration with stakeholders. Since the project’s launch, \u003Cstrong>41,475\u003C/strong> women in the Philippines have been screened for HPV to date, reflecting significant progress in early detection efforts. \u003Cstrong>The Centralized Laboratory Model for HPV Screening (CLAMS) Project\u003C/strong> builds on this foundation, enhancing HPV screening capacity in urban areas and offering free screenings supported by Roche. In two years, CLAMS has screened \u003Cstrong>5,141\u003C/strong> women in cities like Manila, Quezon City, Muntinlupa, and Cebu introducing cutting-edge cervical cancer prevention services to local communities.\u003C/em>\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Advocating for awareness and access\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003Cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"707\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-Advocacy-707x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3618\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-Advocacy-707x1024-1.jpg 707w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-Advocacy-707x1024-1-207x300.jpg 207w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-Advocacy-707x1024-1-373x540.jpg 373w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Joyce-Caubat-Advocacy-707x1024-1-375x543.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px\" />\u003C/figure>\u003C/div>\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Joyce, the experience has not only safeguarded her health but also inspired her to become an advocate for regular screening and treatment of precancerous lesions for women her age.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I’m grateful. Services like these are so important, especially for women who can’t afford to get screened or treated in private hospitals,” she said. “Regular screening isn’t just about health—it’s an act of empowerment and self-care. By taking charge of your health, you also contribute to the well-being of your community and the future of the next generation.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Geri Matthew Carretero is a communications specialist for Jhpiego in the Philippines.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Tracey Shissler, Project Director for the SUCCESS Project, reviewed this story.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>After seeing a Facebook post about a mobile screening for cervical cancer, high school teacher Joyce Caubat attended a mobile screening where she learned about HPV and the self-collection process. Joyce tested positive for HPV and received free treatment for precancerous lesions, marking the beginning of her advocacy journey. \u003C/p>\n","self-care-cervical-cancer","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/self-care-cervical-cancer/","/our-stories/p/self-care-cervical-cancer/","2025-06-24T20:21:16","2025-08-15T13:55:51",{"id":1413,"src":1414,"width":231,"height":319,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1415,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1416,"srcset":1417,"sizes":324,"meta":1418,"acf":1463},3699,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Self-care-Aug-2025-Feature-Image.jpg","Story-Self-care-Aug 2025-Feature Image","\u003Cimg width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Self-care-Aug-2025-Feature-Image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Self-care-Aug-2025-Feature-Image.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Story-Self-care-Aug-2025-Feature-Image-300x200.jpg 300w, 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EOS R10","1705195837","4000",[],{"primaryColor":1464,"blurhash":1465},"#c0b7a2","UoI}hTRjR+t5~URkRjt6tQWBofaekDj[ofWX",{"id":1467,"guid":1468,"title":1469,"content":1470,"excerpt":1471,"excerptRaw":1471,"slug":1472,"url":1473,"uri":1474,"to":1474,"status":115,"date":1475,"modified":1476,"type":118,"authorId":119,"featuredMedia":1477},2388,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=2388","Compassion in Every Step: Madina’s Journey as a Cervical Cancer Advocate","\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>In Burkina Faso, where \u003Cstrong>cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death among women\u003C/strong>, community health worker Madina Ouedraogo is making a powerful impact by promoting \u003Cstrong>self-screening for HPV\u003C/strong> through door-to-door outreach. As part of Jhpiego’s SUCCESS project, supported by Unitaid, she \u003Cstrong>helps women take control of their health\u003C/strong>, using accessible self-sampling methods. Her efforts have helped \u003Cstrong>over 200 women in just six months,\u003C/strong> enabling early detection and treatment of precancerous conditions. Madina’s dedication exemplifies how \u003Cstrong>community-based approaches are crucial\u003C/strong> in the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Chr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"/>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2397\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Even-on-the-street-Madina-doesnt-hesitate-to-discuss-the-risk-of-cervical-cancer-with-the-women-she-meets.-Photo-by-Souleymane-Zare-for-Jhpiego.jpg 1144w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Community health worker, Madina Ouedraogo, knows that when it comes to cervical cancer prevention, every second counts. That’s why, every morning as the day breaks, she commits to reaching as many women in her district as possible with potentially lifesaving information. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Burkina Faso, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer. \u003Ca href=\"https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/854-burkina-faso-fact-sheet.pdf\">In 2022, 988 new cases and 775 deaths were recorded in the country.\u003C/a>  That’s about two deaths per day. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Equipped with teaching aids, sampling kits, and a mobile phone, Madina weaves through the Bissighin District of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso’s capital city. She visits women in markets, farms, and their homes, encouraging them to take charge of their health by self-screening for cervical cancer. This self-sampling method detects human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus responsible for over 90% of cervical cancer cases.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Madina conducts this work as part of Jhpiego’s work under the SUCCESS project, supported through investment from Unitaid. SUCCESS supports 33 community health workers (CHWs) and psychosocial counsellors who work in four health regions in Burkina Faso, one of which is the Bissighin District where Madina works. Fully committed, she carries out her work with love and passion.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I have been a CHW for more than ten years,” she said. “My job is to meet people and inform them of the importance of going to health facilities and adopting the right behaviors to maintain good health.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"461\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-1024x461.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2398\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-300x135.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-768x346.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-2048x922.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-960x432.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-375x169.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-1280x576.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-1920x864.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-2560x1152.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1-3840x1728.jpg 3840w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-1.jpg 4160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Routine screening for life-changing results\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Cervical cancer is a reality for many communities. Neighbors, friends, and family members in Ouagadougou have increasingly received heartbreaking cervical cancer prognoses. Relying on CHWs like Madina, SUCCESS aims to reverse this by including community-based screening through self-sampling as a complement to facility-based screening. This approach consists of going into communities to raise awareness among local leaders, women, and men to get as many women as possible to attend a community screening.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We seek out women between the ages of 30 and 49,” says Madina. “We give them the different methods of sampling (self-sampling or provider-collected) and each one chooses the one that suits them. Two weeks later, the results are available at the health facility, and we send them to the clients’ homes.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Self-sampling is overwhelmingly selected by women for convenience and privacy.  CHWs collect each sample from their clients’ homes and then transport them to health facilities for analysis in a laboratory. The results are then often delivered via phone or door-to-door by a health worker. Those who test positive for HPV are invited to go to the health facility for visual assessment. This determines if there are any precancerous lesions present, and if detected, treatment is administered to eliminate them.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Increased screening rates: A sign that awareness works\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In six months, through hard work, Madina has helped more than 200 women self-sample and learn their HPV status. Those who tested positive for HPV were referred by Madina to the closest health facility for care.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“To move toward the goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2030, the SUCCESS Project has focused on the involvement of community health workers like Madina,” says Dr. Claude Linda Traoré, the SUCCESS Project Manager. “They play an indispensable role in the success of the project through the tremendous work of raising awareness and mobilizing populations. The results are palpable and Madina’s example demonstrates this.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Every day, Madina is persistent. She knows that helping women avert this silent and very dangerous disease will give them healthier futures.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“At the beginning, one client I saw was a little reluctant to take the test and I had to convince her several times,” says Madina. “But when her HPV result came back positive, her precancerous lesions were treated. Today, she thanks us for helping her escape cervical cancer.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Since 2020, the SUCCESS project has collaborated with 150 CHWs and 50 community leaders, reaching 38,360 women. These efforts have led to a significant increase in early cervical cancer screenings and have helped detect cases sooner, ultimately saving lives.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Souleymane Zare is a Communications Officer in Jhpiego’s Burkina Faso office.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>This story was reviewed by Tracey Shissler, Project Director for the SUCCESS Project.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Community health worker, Madina Ouedraogo, knows that when it comes to cervical cancer prevention, every second counts.\u003C/p>\n","madinas-journey","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/madinas-journey/","/our-stories/p/madinas-journey/","2025-05-20T18:07:47","2025-08-14T17:44:14",{"id":1478,"src":1479,"width":1480,"height":1481,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1482,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1483,"srcset":1484,"sizes":1485,"meta":1486,"acf":1547},2399,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2.jpg",4160,1872,"Madina_BurkinaFaso_2025_3","\u003Cimg width=\"4160\" height=\"1872\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2.jpg 4160w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-300x135.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-1024x461.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-768x346.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-1536x691.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-2048x922.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-960x432.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-375x169.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-1280x576.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Picture-2-1920x864.jpg 1920w, 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4160px",{"width":1480,"height":1481,"file":1487,"filesize":1488,"sizes":1489,"imageMeta":1539},"2025/06/Picture-2.jpg",2821218,{"medium":1490,"large":1494,"thumbnail":1498,"mediumLarge":1501,"1536x1536":1505,"2048x2048":1509,"postThumbnail":1513,"socialPreview":1517,"smallPreview":1520,"mediumPreview":1524,"largePreview":1525,"fullscreenSmall":1528,"fullscreen":1532,"fullscreenLarge":1535},{"file":1491,"width":31,"height":1492,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1493},"Picture-2-300x135.jpg",135,53600,{"file":1495,"width":36,"height":1496,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1497},"Picture-2-1024x461.jpg",461,145126,{"file":1499,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1500},"Picture-2-150x150.jpg",50557,{"file":1502,"width":45,"height":1503,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1504},"Picture-2-768x346.jpg",346,103705,{"file":1506,"width":50,"height":1507,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1508},"Picture-2-1536x691.jpg",691,257002,{"file":1510,"width":16,"height":1511,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1512},"Picture-2-2048x922.jpg",922,397657,{"file":1514,"width":70,"height":1515,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1516},"Picture-2-960x432.jpg",432,133137,{"file":1518,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1519},"Picture-2-1200x630.jpg",208795,{"file":1521,"width":65,"height":1522,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1523},"Picture-2-375x169.jpg",169,59322,{"file":1514,"width":70,"height":1515,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1516},{"file":1526,"width":75,"height":877,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1527},"Picture-2-1280x576.jpg",195702,{"file":1529,"width":80,"height":1530,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1531},"Picture-2-1920x864.jpg",864,358370,{"file":1533,"width":231,"height":1017,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1534},"Picture-2-2560x1152.jpg",560626,{"file":1536,"width":236,"height":1537,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1538},"Picture-2-3840x1728.jpg",1728,1033196,{"aperture":1540,"credit":18,"camera":1541,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":1542,"copyright":18,"focalLength":1543,"iso":1544,"shutterSpeed":1545,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":1546},"1.85","TECNO KH6","1740735892","3.62","112","0.005489",[],{"primaryColor":1548,"blurhash":1549},"#c9bfb4","UdKw:}9u_NNa^*RjR-nis9adaet7%MW=ofs.",{"id":1551,"guid":1552,"title":1553,"content":1554,"excerpt":1555,"excerptRaw":1555,"slug":1556,"url":1557,"uri":1558,"to":1558,"status":115,"date":1559,"modified":1560,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1561},3751,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3751","Milagrosa, the motorbike nurse: Providing care in the community ","\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Nurse Milagrosa Matsinhe\u003C/strong> delivers cervical cancer screening and follow-up care directly to women’s homes in rural Mozambique, ensuring early detection and treatment.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Supported by \u003Cstrong>Jhpiego and PEPFAR\u003C/strong>, this home-visit approach reduces travel costs, builds trust, and improves access to life-saving services.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>In one year, Milagrosa screened \u003Cstrong>202 women\u003C/strong>, treating all who tested positive for early-stage precancerous lesions.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3752\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-960x640.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Care in the community, one stop at a time\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Nurse Milagrosa Matsinhe’s first stop today is to check in with Lurdes Ubisse at her home. But first, she has to get there. Meeting clients where they live means taking a motorbike, driven by a colleague, through grasslands near the Chokwe Military Health Center in southern Mozambique, where Milagrosa is based. Late last year, Lurdes began experiencing abdominal pain and sought help at a nearby health center. She was diagnosed with an advanced precancerous lesion. Lurdes was immediately referred to Chokwe Rural Hospital, where she underwent loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) to remove abnormal tissue. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-02.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3753\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-02.jpeg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-02-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-02-375x250.jpeg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>Nurse Milagrosa Matsinhe (center, white coat) attends a morning health talk at the military health center in Chokwe, Mozambique, where she provides health services.\u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Lurdes’ journey didn’t end after [the LEEP procedure]. Since there is limited transportation to the health center, I regularly visit her home for follow-up examinations,” says Milagrosa. In February 2024, during one of her visits to Lurdes, Milagrosa performed a cervical cancer screening test using visual inspection with acetic acid. The result was encouraging: the test was negative. Lurdes was free of the disease.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n\u003Cp>“I want to help women care for their health so they can see their children grow to adulthood. I do my work for love.”\u003C/p>\n\u003C/blockquote>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lurdes could not be more thankful. “Milagrosa always calls to find out how I am getting on and visits me whenever she is in the village,” she said. “She treated me so well that I entrusted her with my health and invited my cousin to be seen here at home.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So during a subsequent visit, Milagrosa screened Lurdes’ cousin, 33-year-old Essineta Ubisse, and identified signs of early-stage precancer. Thanks to early intervention, Essineta was quickly treated with thermal ablation—a procedure, less invasive than LEEP. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003Cstrong>Updating cancer screening skills\u003C/strong>\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While cervical and breast cancer screening is part of the training package for maternal and child health nurses at all levels in Mozambique, in 2022, Milagrosa attended a refresher training led by Jhpiego on cervical cancer screening procedures and performing thermal ablation for those found with precancerous lesions. Jhpiego has provided refresher training to 16 nurses in 11 provinces across Mozambique.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3757\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03.jpg 1000w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-03-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u003Cem>From September 2023 to August 2024, Nurse Milagrosa screened 202 women, 154 at the health center and 48 in their communities. Of the 48 women screened in the communities, 10 tested positive for early precancer lesions and all received the required treatment. These figures reflect the impact of home visits—which led to early detection, treatment and, potentially, lives saved.  \u003C/em>\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), through the U.S. Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program, which serves Mozambique Defense Forces and communities surrounding military sites in 11 provinces, and with technical support from Jhpiego, Milagrosa has adopted an innovative approach by providing care directly to women in their homes. (Mozambique has a high HIV prevalence rate, women living with HIV are \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cervical-cancer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">six times more likely to develop cervical cancer\u003C/a> than other women.) Dr. Lisete Amélia Macaringue, Country Director of Jhpiego Mozambique and Chief of Party for the project says, “This is an innovative strategy and Chokwe is the first place to take this [home visit] approach, which is bringing good results and reducing the cost of women traveling long distances to receive treatment.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jhpiego Mozambique is advancing cervical cancer prevention\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego Mozambique is supporting 1,690 health units with cervical cancer screening and treatment services. These joint efforts, along with Mozambique’s Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Health, are changing the future for hundreds of women, and their families, giving them a new lease on life and contributing to the World Health Organization’s aim of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030.   \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>According to the most recent Global Cancer Observatory study, cervical cancer was the most common cancer among Mozambican women aged 25 and over, accounting for 40 percent of new cases and deaths from all types of cancer. In 2020, it was estimated that there were 5,325 new cases. Mozambique is one of the 10 countries with the world’s highest rates of new cases and deaths of women from cervical cancer.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Veronica Reis, Principal Technical Advisor,\u003C/em> \u003Cem>provided a technical review of this article.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Manuel Jesus Joaquim is the Senior Communications Advisor in Jhpiego Mozambique.\u003C/em> \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In southern Mozambique, nurse Milagrosa Matsinhe is breaking barriers to care, traveling by motorbike to reach women in their homes with life-saving cervical cancer screening and treatment.\u003C/p>\n","milagrosa","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/milagrosa/","/our-stories/p/milagrosa/","2024-10-21T20:28:00","2025-08-17T15:25:27",{"id":1562,"src":1563,"width":60,"height":1245,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1564,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1565,"srcset":1566,"sizes":127,"meta":1567,"acf":1601},3752,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg","Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01","\u003Cimg width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg 1200w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-960x640.jpg 960w",{"width":60,"height":1245,"file":1568,"filesize":1569,"sizes":1570,"imageMeta":1595},"2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01.jpg",982627,{"medium":1571,"large":1574,"thumbnail":1577,"mediumLarge":1580,"postThumbnail":1583,"socialPreview":1586,"smallPreview":1589,"mediumPreview":1592},{"file":1572,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1573},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-300x200.jpg",32973,{"file":1575,"width":36,"height":334,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1576},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1024x683.jpg",210655,{"file":1578,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1579},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-150x150.jpg",21695,{"file":1581,"width":45,"height":341,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1582},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-768x512.jpg",128926,{"file":1584,"width":352,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1585},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-810x540.jpg",141998,{"file":1587,"width":60,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1588},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-1200x630.jpg",260088,{"file":1590,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1591},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-375x250.jpg",42987,{"file":1593,"width":70,"height":362,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1594},"Jhpiego-Story-Cancer-10-21-2024-01-960x640.jpg",187192,{"aperture":1596,"credit":18,"camera":809,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":1597,"copyright":18,"focalLength":1598,"iso":376,"shutterSpeed":1599,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":1600},"5.6","1716292902","160","0.000625",[],{"primaryColor":1602,"blurhash":1603},"#947e55","UTHLC*VqD%t8Y8D%aJt8TMRQRiR%-;ofRjRP",{"id":1605,"guid":1606,"title":1607,"content":1608,"excerpt":1609,"excerptRaw":1609,"slug":1610,"url":1611,"uri":1612,"to":1612,"status":115,"date":1613,"modified":1614,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1615},3329,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3329","Bringing breast cancer care closer to women: India’s experience","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-1024x577.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3330\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-768x433.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-960x541.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-375x211.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg 1051w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, breast cancer is the most common form of women’s cancer. In India, where I live, women suffer disproportionately from breast cancer. Though the incidence is similar to the rate in the U.S. (in both countries, it accounts for \u003Ca href=\"https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/356-india-fact-sheet.pdf\">about one in four\u003C/a> cases of cancer among women), there is a stark difference in mortality. In India, only half of the women diagnosed with breast cancer will survive. In the U.S., nine out of 10 women will reach the \u003Ca href=\"https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/Survival/\">five-year survival mark\u003C/a>. This unacceptably high death rate in India is due to limited awareness, poor access to diagnostic services, complicated management pathways and incomplete and/or delayed treatment.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Meet the need\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Health care infrastructure varies dramatically across India. While urban areas benefit from advanced hospitals and specialized care, rural and tribal areas often lack basic health services, infrastructure and trained personnel. To leapfrog these challenges, and to ensure equitable access, we need context-appropriate innovations.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To meet this need, Jhpiego is collaborating with the Government of Odisha—a state in eastern India with large rural and Scheduled Tribe populations—on multiple initiatives to decentralize care to bring care closer to women. One of our goals is to test these initiatives to see if they can be scaled up from small projects to country-wide programs.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bring care closer to women\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Because of a lack of local diagnostic services, most women with early signs of cancer rely on state or regional cancer institutions, often far from home. There are only two such institutions in Odisha, which has a population of more than 23 million women. To address this barrier, we are working with the Government of Odisha to decentralize services by increasing breast cancer diagnostic capabilities (imaging and pathology) at the district level. The aim is to establish diagnostic services in all 30 districts, so women won’t have to travel as far to receive a diagnosis.  \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Efforts are still ongoing, but this initiative is increasing access to breast cancer diagnostics as we speak, which is saving lives.\u003Cstrong>\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Provide targeted treatments\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>If diagnosed with breast cancer, women face the hurdle of accessing treatment. Physicians can use biomarker tests to guide personalized, targeted treatments. Until recently, biomarker testing required special expertise and complex, time-consuming and costly lab work, making it less accessible in low-resource settings. These factors delay diagnosis and treatment, substantially reducing chances of survival.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, across India, recent improvements in molecular \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/story/strengthening-indias-labs/\">diagnostic platforms\u003C/a> (e.g., GeneXpert used for tuberculosis and COVID-19 testing) present a remarkable opportunity to provide advanced breast cancer diagnostic solutions to underserved populations.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Be innovative\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We worked with the Government of Odisha, the state cancer institute and Cepheid, an innovative technology service provider, to pilot the use of molecular diagnostic platforms for breast cancer biomarker testing. This state-of-the-art technology has been proven in other countries, but it has not been used in public health settings in India.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Our pilot project showed the feasibility of using molecular diagnostics, which provide quick turn-around times and are cost-effective, for public health settings. Since these platforms are available at the district or subdistrict level, the pilot project showed the possibility of making biomarker-based testing available to more women, closer to their homes. This will improve access to targeted therapies that can improve survival and well-being.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We at Jhpiego are bringing powerful tools, in the form of diagnostic solutions, closer to women in their fight against cancer—regardless of where they live.\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In India, too many women are dying from breast cancer, not because it’s untreatable, but because diagnosis and care come too late. Jhpiego is working with the Government of Odisha to change that by bringing innovative, life-saving diagnostics closer to home.\u003C/p>\n","bringing-breast-cancer-care-closer-to-women-indias-experience","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/bringing-breast-cancer-care-closer-to-women-indias-experience/","/our-stories/p/bringing-breast-cancer-care-closer-to-women-indias-experience/","2024-10-21T20:11:00","2025-08-06T20:17:12",{"id":1616,"src":1617,"width":1618,"height":1619,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1620,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1621,"srcset":1622,"sizes":1623,"meta":1624,"acf":1655},3330,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg",1051,592,"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"1051\" height=\"592\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg 1051w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-768x433.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-960x541.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-375x211.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg 1051w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-300x169.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-1024x577.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-768x433.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-960x541.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-375x211.jpg 375w","(max-width: 1051px) 100vw, 1051px",{"width":1618,"height":1619,"file":1625,"filesize":1626,"sizes":1627,"imageMeta":1653},"2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024.jpg",380441,{"medium":1628,"large":1631,"thumbnail":1635,"mediumLarge":1638,"postThumbnail":1642,"smallPreview":1645,"mediumPreview":1649},{"file":1629,"width":31,"height":1522,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1630},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-300x169.jpg",25361,{"file":1632,"width":36,"height":1633,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1634},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-1024x577.jpg",577,130561,{"file":1636,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1637},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-150x150.jpg",17266,{"file":1639,"width":45,"height":1640,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1641},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-768x433.jpg",433,85822,{"file":1643,"width":70,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1644},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-960x540.jpg",118513,{"file":1646,"width":65,"height":1647,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1648},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-375x211.jpg",211,32485,{"file":1650,"width":70,"height":1651,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1652},"Jhpiego-Blog-India-10-21-2024-960x541.jpg",541,118183,{"aperture":84,"credit":18,"camera":18,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":84,"copyright":18,"focalLength":84,"iso":84,"shutterSpeed":84,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":1654},[],{"primaryColor":1656,"blurhash":1657},"#27201e","UfFrnz%N?^.9Ops;t8t7oeRjWVs.%2j]kBt8",{"id":1659,"guid":1660,"title":1661,"content":1662,"excerpt":1663,"excerptRaw":1663,"slug":1664,"url":1665,"uri":1666,"to":1666,"status":115,"date":1667,"modified":1668,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1669},3905,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3905","Inside Tanzania’s Breast Cancer Model: Saving Mothers, Protecting Generations ","\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>In Tanzania, Dr. Mary Rose Giattas and her team are using a single-visit breast cancer diagnostic model to deliver exams, imaging, and cytology in one appointment, reducing delays and uncertainty.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>This approach, combined with community education and patient navigation, breaks down stigma, ensures faster treatment, and empowers women to take control of their health.\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>Supported by global and national partners, the model aligns with the WHO Global Breast Cancer Initiative and has the potential to transform women’s cancer care.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3906\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In Tanzania and across sub-Saharan Africa, breast cancer takes an especially heavy toll. Every year, thousands of women face this disease, with half of all deaths occurring in women under 50—often mothers of young children. The ripple effect of a single breast cancer diagnosis can stretch across generations, leaving behind maternal orphans and families struggling to survive. Dr. Mary Rose Giattas knows this ripple effect personally: as a teenager, she lost her own mother to breast cancer, leaving her family profoundly changed.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Today, Dr. Giattas leads a team determined to prevent other families from experiencing the same loss. With support from the US Government-funded MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership project and the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/supporting_breast_cancer_care_globally_through_pfizer_foundation\">Pfizer\u003C/a> Foundation, Dr. Giattas and Jhpiego’s team are implementing an innovative single-visit diagnostic approach to disrupt the cycle of breast cancer, bringing timely care and community-centered solutions to women across Tanzania.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Ripple Effect in Numbers: From Diagnosis to Family Impact\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Chain Reaction of Loss\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In sub-Saharan Africa, 50% of breast cancer deaths occur in women under 50, each death often \u003Ca href=\"https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2774304\">leaves behind two maternal orphans\u003C/a>. Breast cancer’s impact isn’t confined to the individual—it extends to children who lose their mothers, families who bear financial burdens and communities that lose caregivers and contributors.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">80% Diagnosed Too Late\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For most women in sub-Saharan Africa, breast cancer isn’t diagnosed \u003Ca href=\"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8243219/#bibr22-15353702211006047\">until stage III or IV\u003C/a>, when treatment options are limited. Late-stage diagnoses often mean a much lower chance of survival and leave families unprepared for the full financial and emotional impact.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Realities of Access and Stigma\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With limited health care resources, misinformation and social stigma, many women face significant obstacles to getting diagnosed early. Traditional beliefs or social pressures can deter women from seeking care. “Sometimes, I cry,” Dr. Giattas reflects. “I wonder, where was I to help these patients sooner? Why didn’t we reach them five years ago?”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Early Detection and Intervention: Breaking the Cycle\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jhpiego’s pioneering single-visit diagnostic model offers women in rural regions of Mwanza, Tanga and Zanzibar a comprehensive breast cancer diagnosis in just one visit. This model includes a clinical breast exam, diagnostic imaging and, if needed, fine-needle aspiration cytology—all in a single appointment. This innovation isn’t just a new model for care; it’s a lifeline for women with limited access to health care facilities who often struggle with the burden of repeated appointments. By reducing uncertainty, the single-visit approach provides women with a faster diagnosis and a sense of control over their health. Dr. Giattas and Jhpiego’s team are on a mission to change breast cancer outcomes through this model, combined with community-centered interventions that empower women with knowledge, resources and a clear path to care. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Lifesaving Approach\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>One Visit, Three Critical Steps: \u003C/strong>Women receive a clinical breast exam, imaging and cytology as needed, all in one location, minimizing the delay and uncertainty that often accompanies traditional multi-visit diagnostics\u003C/li>\n\n\n\n\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Connecting Care: \u003C/strong>With the support of patient navigators, women are not only diagnosed faster but are also connected to treatment centers, ensuring they receive continuous care after diagnosis.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Empowering Women and Transforming Communities\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The single-visit model does more than just speed up diagnosis—it represents a fundamental shift in how women perceive and access care. By embedding breast cancer screening in regular health services, such as cervical cancer and HIV screenings, Jhpiego’s model normalizes breast cancer care, reducing stigma and making women more comfortable with preventive health measures.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Giattas and her team also lead outreach efforts to saturate communities with reliable information on breast cancer symptoms, breaking down long-standing myths and fears. In every community, they aim to create an environment where women are informed, supported and encouraged to seek care without fear. “This isn’t just about early detection,” Dr. Giattas says, “It’s about giving women the confidence to take control of their health and their lives.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"234\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3910\"/>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Investing in Women’s Health\u003C/h3>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Women’s cancers are underfunded,” says Dr. Somesh Kumar, Jhpiego’s Senior Director for Technical Leadership. “But as women’s health advocates, we believe if we lead on this, the resources will follow.” Dr. Kumar draws parallels with maternal and child health progress over the last 25 years—an area once considered insurmountable but now thriving thanks to global support and targeted investments.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Through a multi-stakeholder effort involving the World Health Organization, Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Jhpiego, this initiative is about much more than saving lives—it’s about shifting the future of women’s health in low-income countries. The impact could be as transformative as maternal health progress was a generation ago — paving the way for healthier women, stronger families and more resilient communities across Tanzania and beyond.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Achieving a Global Goal\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>The World Health Organization’s Global Breast Cancer Initiative, established in 2021, brings together global stakeholders to reduce breast cancer by 2.5 percent per year, which, over 20 years, would save 2.5 million lives.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>To design country-specific and resource-appropriate health systems for the delivery of breast cancer care in low- and middle-income settings, the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.who.int/news/item/03-02-2023-who-launches-new-roadmap-on-breast-cancer#:~:text=Diagnosing%20breast%20cancer%20within%2060,patients%20complete%20their%20recommended%20treatment.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHO 60-60-80 framework outlines\u003C/a> three pillars of action:\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>• Focus on breast cancer early diagnosis so that at least \u003Cstrong>60% of breast cancers are diagnosed and treated as early-stage disease.\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>• \u003Cstrong>Diagnose breast cancer within 60 days of initial presentation\u003C/strong> to improve breast cancer outcomes.\u003Cbr>• Treatment should start within three months of the first presentation. Manage breast cancer so that \u003Cstrong>at least 80% of patients complete their recommended treatment.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Aligned with this framework, Jhpiego has established these levers of action:\u003C/strong>\u003Cbr>• Innovation\u003Cbr>• Patient navigation\u003Cbr>• Women-centric design\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>In Tanzania, Dr. Mary Rose Giattas is leading an innovative single-visit breast cancer diagnostic model that delivers faster diagnoses, reduces stigma, and connects women to life-saving treatment, offering hope to families and a blueprint for improving women’s health worldwide.\u003C/p>\n","tanzania-breast-cancer-model","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/tanzania-breast-cancer-model/","/our-stories/p/tanzania-breast-cancer-model/","2024-10-14T19:25:00","2025-08-13T19:41:13",{"id":1670,"src":1671,"width":36,"height":334,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1672,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1673,"srcset":1674,"sizes":863,"meta":1675,"acf":1706},3906,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg","Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01","\u003Cimg width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />","https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-300x200.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-768x512.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-810x540.jpg 810w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-375x250.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-960x640.jpg 960w",{"width":36,"height":334,"file":1676,"filesize":1677,"sizes":1678,"imageMeta":1700},"2025/08/Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01.jpg",115925,{"medium":1679,"thumbnail":1682,"mediumLarge":1685,"postThumbnail":1688,"socialPreview":1691,"smallPreview":1694,"mediumPreview":1697},{"file":1680,"width":31,"height":32,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1681},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-300x200.jpg",31149,{"file":1683,"width":41,"height":41,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1684},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-150x150.jpg",24083,{"file":1686,"width":45,"height":341,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1687},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-768x512.jpg",77041,{"file":1689,"width":352,"height":56,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1690},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-810x540.jpg",82944,{"file":1692,"width":36,"height":61,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1693},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-1024x630.jpg",110871,{"file":1695,"width":65,"height":66,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1696},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-375x250.jpg",37250,{"file":1698,"width":70,"height":362,"mimeType":21,"filesize":1699},"Jhpiego-Story-Tanzania-10-14-20240-01-960x640.jpg",102192,{"aperture":240,"credit":18,"camera":1701,"caption":18,"createdTimestamp":1702,"copyright":18,"focalLength":1703,"iso":1704,"shutterSpeed":812,"title":18,"orientation":378,"keywords":1705},"Canon EOS 5D Mark IV","1715785141","60","400",[],{"primaryColor":1707,"blurhash":1708},"#c7a953","UWLy##^%ko=?~KjXn7S5t7s;IrNaw[f#oy$%",{"id":1710,"guid":1711,"title":1712,"content":1713,"excerpt":1714,"excerptRaw":1714,"slug":1715,"url":1716,"uri":1717,"to":1717,"status":115,"date":1718,"modified":1719,"type":118,"authorId":416,"featuredMedia":1720},3335,"https://jhpiego.netlify.app/?p=3335","Looking Back on Her Decades of Service, Dr. Kobbie Sees a Promising Future for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer","\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https://jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3336\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-720x540.jpg 720w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-375x281.jpg 375w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-960x720.jpg 960w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1280x960.jpg 1280w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1920x1440.jpg 1920w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024.jpg 2560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>We are closer than ever to eliminating cervical cancer. The World Health Organization affirmed the likelihood that cervical cancer can be eliminated within the lifetime of today’s young girls. But this is not news or even a revelation for Dr. Khunying Kobchitt “Kobbie” Limpaphayom, who has dedicated her life’s work to improving women’s reproductive health, including reducing deaths from cervical cancer, in Thailand and beyond.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A student of Jhpiego’s founder, the late \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/about/history-mission/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr. Theodore M. King of Johns Hopkins University\u003C/a>, Dr. Kobbie spent more than four decades in Thailand’s rural communities testing and treating women to prevent cervical cancer and in classrooms at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok training generations of health workers, including today’s leaders in cervical cancer, to do the same.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Dr. Kobbie has changed the lives of many women and girls and their families. Like most countries, four decades ago Thailand was struggling to prevent, screen and treat cervical cancer. In 2000, Dr. Kobbie, in partnership with Jhpiego, the government of Thailand, the Roi Et Provincial Health Office and the Royal Thai College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, began implementation of the SAFE (\u003Ca href=\"https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(03)12707-9/abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Safety, Acceptability, Feasibility, and program Effort\u003C/a>) study, which used a method called visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA). VIA uses diluted acetic acid, the basic component of household vinegar, to detect precancerous lesions on the cervix, which turn white when they react with the acid. If lesions were found, patients could be treated immediately in a single visit approach (SVA) or referred for treatment of advanced lesions.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>This simple, low-cost screening method does not need electricity, sophisticated labs or equipment. But it did need to catch on among rural populations. So, Dr. Kobbie and her team of clinical trainers led the charge training nurses and general practitioners. They also trained public health volunteers and community health workers to engage and mobilize the community to support and encourage women to participate in the screening campaigns and spread the word.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>One of the objectives of the SAFE study was to convince medical and public health policy stakeholders that nurses could perform SVA and meet the four criteria of safety, acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness. “Before the training and awareness campaigns, a lot of people did not believe in the way I used the vinegar,” Dr Kobbie said. “It was very difficult for both the public and the ob-gyn community themselves to accept it.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, over time, they did accept and expand SVA. Thanks to a combination of screening methods, including VIA, the incidence rate in Thailand went from \u003Ca href=\"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38528826/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">18.1 per 100,000 women in 2001 to 11.1 by 2018\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Other governments started to take notice. Dr. Kobbie traveled to Uganda, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and several other countries to help implement SVA. The use of this successful approach continued to grow—so much so that, in 2018, the United Nations presented its \u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/news/thai-health-office-receives-un-award-for-cervical-cancer-prevention-services-pioneered-by-johns-hopkins-affiliate-jhpiego/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Public Service Award\u003C/a> to the Provincial Health Office of Roi Et for its integrated approach to comprehensive cervical cancer control, the single visit, screen-and-treat approach. As Dr. Kobbie, who traveled to Morocco to receive the award, said, “\u003Ca href=\"https://www.jhpiego.org/news/thai-health-office-receives-un-award-for-cervical-cancer-prevention-services-pioneered-by-johns-hopkins-affiliate-jhpiego/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The single visit approach helped in giving women easier access to care by bringing care closer to their homes\u003C/a>,”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At her core, Dr. Kobbie is a realist. She understands that SVA can’t eliminate cervical cancer. Primary prevention—HPV vaccination and promotion of healthy practices—must also be a priority.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2017, the HPV vaccine was introduced into Thailand’s national immunization program for 11- to 12-year-old schoolgirls. But a host of complexities made it hard for people to access the vaccine, especially in Thailand’s rural provinces. Because Thailand is considered an upper-middle-income country, the government must procure vaccines from the open market, rather than rely on heavily subsidized or free vaccines from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. And, it’s an age-restricted vaccine, meaning only people who fall within the right age group (females ages 9 to 26 years and males ages 13 to 21) can receive it.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For cervical cancer rates to continue to decline, the tried-and-true methods that Dr. Kobbie has worked hard to spread cannot be discounted, especially for those out of the vaccine age range.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“By the time we had a usable vaccine, there were so many women with HPV,” says Dr. Kobbie. “Those women will always have that question in their mind about if they already have the HPV strain that causes cancer. That’s why I say, ‘Don’t be shy. Go and get screened.’”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2001, shortly after Dr. Kobbie began using SVA, cervical cancer was the second most common cancer among women in Thailand. Two decades later, in 2022, \u003Ca href=\"https://gco.iarc.who.int/media/globocan/factsheets/populations/764-thailand-fact-sheet.pdf\">it had dropped to fourth\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“My hope is that cervical cancer will never be more prevalent than it is right now,” she says. “I’m still working. I’m still teaching because I want to inspire the younger generation to be good doctors. I want to teach them that every cervical cancer patient is a human being, just like your sister or yourself.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Ricky Lu, Senior Technical Advisor at Jhpiego, also contributed to this article.\u003C/em>\u003C/p>\n","\u003Cp>Dr. Kobbie Limpaphayom has spent more than 40 years bringing lifesaving cervical cancer screening to women across Thailand and beyond. Her pioneering work, and relentless advocacy, continues to shape a future where elimination is not just possible, but within reach.\u003C/p>\n","looking-back-on-her-decades-of-service-dr-kobbie-sees-a-promising-future-for-the-elimination-of-cervical-cancer","https://jhpiego.org/our-stories/p/looking-back-on-her-decades-of-service-dr-kobbie-sees-a-promising-future-for-the-elimination-of-cervical-cancer/","/our-stories/p/looking-back-on-her-decades-of-service-dr-kobbie-sees-a-promising-future-for-the-elimination-of-cervical-cancer/","2024-09-18T20:18:00","2025-08-06T20:53:06",{"id":1721,"src":1722,"width":231,"height":80,"alt":18,"caption":18,"title":1723,"description":18,"mimeType":21,"html":1724,"srcset":1725,"sizes":324,"meta":1726,"acf":1773},3336,"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024.jpg","Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024","\u003Cimg width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024.jpg 2560w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-300x225.jpg 300w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-768x576.jpg 768w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://api.jhpiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jhpiego-Blog-Cervical-Cancer-9-18-2024-720x540.jpg 720w, 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