Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete during the midwives [Source: iWaqainabete/ twitter]

There is a need for ongoing training for doctors and nurses who provide specialist gynecological care for women and girls.

Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says this is critical in delivering proper services for women and girls.

Dr Waqainabete says the introduction of the Thinprep screening machine at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital has greatly improved the efficacy of the screening process and accuracy in diagnosis.

He adds that it has also assisted the ministry to accelerate its efforts in eliminating cervical cancer.

“The ministry supports WHO’s three recommended three key steps of vaccination with HPV vaccination for our adolescent daughters, screening which is either pap smear or the thin prep and treatment to reduce by more than 40 percent the number of new cervical cancer cases and deaths of the year 2050.”

He says cervical cancer screening commonly known as Pap smear is an essential part of the health screening component.

Waqainabete says with cancer screening is critical to pick up disease before they have cancer or before the onset of pre-cancerous conditions.

The Health Minister adds this eventually leads to early treatment and such screening has also created an opportunity to screen for breast cancer.