Lordina Mahama at 8TH SCCA CONFAB in Namibia

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First Lady in a group picture with the President of Namibia and other First Ladies and dignitaries from around the world

By

Sandow S Kpebu

The First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama has arrived in Windhoek, Namibia, to attend?the 8th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa, SCCA, Conference and exhibition. The Conference, which opened yesterday, brought together African First Ladies, Health Ministers, Speakers of Parliaments and a broad range of stakeholders, from high- level policy makers, across diverse sectors, to civil society and development partners, to deliberate on how to ‘Move Forward To End Cervical Cancer by 2030.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women, worldwide, with an annual incidence of almost 500,000 new cases and 275,000 deaths. The 8th Stop Cervical, Breast and Prostate Cancer in Africa, SCCA, Conference and exhibition is underway in Windhoek, Namibia.

The First Lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama, together with other African First Ladies, who are members of the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer, are attending the conference, which is discussing ‘Moving Forward To End Cervical Cancer by 2030: Universal Access to Cervical Cancer Prevention.

According to the 2014 World Health Organization’s report, globally, 38 million people die from non-communicable diseases every year. These include cancers and more than 28 million, making up 73.7 percent of the deaths occur in developing countries. Also, about 85% of 275,000 women living with cervical cancer in developing countries, worldwide, die due to inadequate resources, infrastructure, and denied access to early diagnosis, treatment and palliative care.

The First lady, Mrs. Lordina Mahama joined the campaign when she?took her campaign on intensifying awareness of HIV and AIDS, cervical and breast cancers to Sunyani and Koforidua in the Brong Ahafo and the Eastern Region respectively, aimed at helping to mobilise communities, educate them and advocate more attention and resources to address the burden of HIV, cervical and breast cancers in Ghana.

The goal of the 3 day conference is to discuss matters of cancer of the reproductive system, in order to further contribute to the development of strategic actions that will help in the reduction of these cancers.

The conference will also interrogate the status of cancer in the context of sexual and reproductive health and rights in Africa, with particular focus on girls, adolescents, youth, women and men of the reproductive age, and create the awareness that Cervical cancer is now preventable,? thanks to the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV, vaccine. The conference is jointly organised by the Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer and the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation, under the auspices of the First Lady of Namibia, Madam Penehupifo Pohamba.

First Lady in a group picture with the President of Namibia and other First Ladies and dignitaries from around the world

 

Mrs Lordina Mahama with the First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Goodluck Jonathan

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