Walk for cervical cancer awareness flagged off

Visakhapatnam: Displaying messages such as 'wellness of women- ek kadam cancer se bachaoki ore,' 'screening for mother and vaccination for daughter,' 'cancer-free India' and 'let us walk together to eliminate cervical cancer,' many women stepped out of their homes on Sunday morning to raise slogans and walk together, creating awareness on cervical cancer.

Donning blue Tees and caps, some of the volunteers, representatives of NGOs and associations took part in the walk that began at Kalimata temple on Beach Road. A joint initiative of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (HBCH & RC) and Public Awareness Committee of Obstetric & Gynaecological Society, the walk, flagged off by Municipal Commissioner M Hari Narayanan was held as part of concluding day of Indian Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ISCCP) 14th annual conference 2019.

With the theme on 'Benchmarking Cervical Cancer Prevention and Screening,' the four-day-long conference saw delegates from the UK, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, India and Gulf engaging in debates that focussed on challenges faced in implementing the WHO goal of eradication of cervical cancer by 2030.

A street play in Hindi on the risk factors involved in developing cervical cancer, importance of preventive care and collective effort to make right health choices was staged on Sunday. It was followed by a cervical cancer screening.

Director of HBCH & RC and organising chairperson of conference D Raghunadha Rao said: "Our goal is to achieve 85 per cent of cervical cancer screening between the age group of 35-45 and 90 per cent of vaccination among adolescent girls and bring down the growing number of cases of cervical cancer by 2030.

Leading a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a single sexual partner throughout the life is the key to cancer prevention." Members of Sneha Sandhya Age Care Foundation, Rohit Memorial Trust, All India Democratic Women's Association and Bhrahma Kumaris also extended support to the walk.