The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) has launched a free cervical cancer screening programme in Ebonyi State, targeting 200 women in the second phase of its nationwide effort to improve early cancer detection and prevention.
The initiative is designed to integrate cancer screening services into family planning programmes at primary healthcare centres, making preventive healthcare more accessible to women.The programme is being implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination. It is part of a national intervention covering six states, representing the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Speaking during the screening exercise in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Moses Ekuma, described cervical cancer as a preventable and treatable disease, stressing the importance of regular screening and early detection in reducing cancer-related deaths.
Ekuma encouraged women across the state to take advantage of the free cervical cancer screening, noting that early identification of abnormal cervical cells could significantly improve treatment outcomes.
He disclosed that the Ebonyi State Government was prepared to support an increase in the programme’s screening target from 200 to 2,000 women..
According to him, the intervention aligns with Governor Francis Nwifuru’s People’s Charter of Needs agenda, which places emphasis on strengthening healthcare delivery and preventing avoidable deaths.
The commissioner recalled that the state had previously organised screening campaigns for cervical, breast and prostate cancers. He added that healthcare workers would be mobilised to educate women about cancer prevention and encourage them to access screening services at primary healthcare facilities.
Ifeyinwa Okeke, NICRAT State Team Leader for the National Initiative for Cancer Early Detection, Screening and Coordinated Access to Network Care (NISCAN), explained that the current exercise represents the second phase of the programme.
She said the first phase, conducted in December 2025, focused on breast cancer awareness and screening, while the ongoing phase is dedicated to cervical cancer prevention through improved screening services.
Okeke disclosed that healthcare workers from three primary healthcare centres were undergoing training to administer Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA tests, a screening method recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for detecting cervical cancer risks.
She explained that the programme also aims to improve cancer-related data collection, strengthen referral pathways and incorporate routine cancer screening into family planning services.
Providing an update on the first phase, Okeke revealed that more than 10,000 women were screened for breast cancer, with four beneficiaries identified with abnormalities and referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki for further medical evaluation.
For the ongoing cervical cancer screening, she said NICRAT had supplied a TrueNAT machine to support HPV testing.
She added that additional medical equipment, including a thermal ablation machine and a colposcope, would be deployed to facilitate further examination and treatment of women diagnosed with precancerous cervical abnormalities.
Also speaking, Musa Segun Terere, a Senior Scientific Officer at NICRAT, who represented the institute’s Director-General, Usman Malami, said the NISCAN programme was established to promote early cancer detection and ensure that people with suspected abnormalities receive appropriate medical attention.
Terere explained that women diagnosed with precancerous cervical lesions could receive treatment through thermal ablation, a procedure used to destroy abnormal cervical tissue.
However, beneficiaries requiring more advanced medical care would be referred to tertiary healthcare facilities for further investigation and treatment.
He stressed that the programme was not limited to screening but also focused on ensuring that women identified with possible health complications were connected to the appropriate healthcare services.
“Beneficiaries, including Ibere Chinanye and Modester Oroke, commend NICRAT for providing free cervical cancer screening.”
Ibere Chinanye and Modester Oroke
However, they appealed to the organisers to extend the duration and coverage of the exercise to enable more women to benefit.
They also called for increased publicity through radio, television and other communication channels, noting that many women in the state were still unaware of the ongoing screening programme.
The beneficiaries urged NICRAT and its partners to sustain the initiative and expand public awareness campaigns, stressing that greater access to information would encourage more women to participate in cervical cancer prevention programmes.
The intervention is expected to strengthen early cancer detection in Ebonyi State while improving access to preventive healthcare, particularly for women who may otherwise face financial and logistical barriers to screening.
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