Lifting Up Cervical Cancer Awareness!

Cervical cancer is a preventable, "silent killer" for women around the world, especially where access to screening, treatment and prevention are nonexistent. It starts with awareness of the problem, accompanied by the will and resources to address this very "solvable" women's health concern. Global Force for Healing's Compassionate Birth Network has begun to address this problem/opportunity through awareness, education and lobbying for funding.

One of our four partners in Haiti, Hispañola Health Partners (HHP) has developed a core competency in addressing and preventing the disease. They have begun offering expertise to the rest of our Network. If you know a funder who would like to make a big impact on women's health in Haiti or even worldwide, please contact us for a copy of our proposal.

I hope you too will be inspired by this guest blog from Erin Quinn, Women's Health expert and family nurse practitioner (FNP) who along with FNP Louise Lindenmeyr, developed HHP's program. AND if you are a woman and haven't had a Pap smear in awhile we encourage you to educate yourself and make an appointment now! Now, from Erin Quinn:

The Haitian woman is the center of her family and community. If she becomes ill, its crucial structure may collapse. Cervical cancer, caused by Human Papilloma Virus,(HPV) is nearly 100% preventable. No woman anywhere should die of it. According to GHESKIO, a major health care organization in Haiti, the country has the world’s highest cervical cancer rate.

Entrance to HHP Clinic (CSUG), southeast Haiti

To date HHP has screened 3700 women and provided hundreds of follow-up treatments. Support from our generous donors has allowed us to implement “state of the art” HPV self testing. That way women can obtain samples privately, resulting in higher patient acceptance, more widespread screening and more precise detection of cervical pre-cancer. Please join us in making sure no woman is lost to this entirely preventable cancer!