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