Malawi, AFRICA- STOP CERVICAL CANCER/HPV

BELOW IS A REPLY BLOG/EDITORIAL FROM THE NCCC REGARDING A NEWS STORY ABOUT NEW CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING PROGRAM IN MALAWI, AFRICA.
Alan


PLEASE NOTE: Over the course of the NCCC's history, we have helped (with Dr. Geoff White) hold two fund raisers (Jazz show and comedy night) specifically for the country of Malawi, Africa. (Funds going to Project HOPE.)

In Malawi, cervical cancer is at high epidemic proportions. Malawi is a small poor country in Africa.

Often, the population lives in villages and there is no ready available transportation for the women to come into the towns for their cervical cancer screen. Also, even while in town, the medical resources are scare and can be hard to come by.

Women will walk miles upon miles to come into town for their health-care. And in many villages, first the women must get permission from the Chief of their village to be allowed to get cervical cancer testing.

Education has been an ongoing challenge, explaining to the village and town populations that a cervical cancer screen should not be viewed upon in a negative cultural way. Education has occurred and continues to point out how cervical cancer screening can stop the spread of disease. Project HOPE has helped with this. Many of the population in Malawi battle HIV/AIDS day after day.

The women of Malawi, Africa with HIV/AIDS often die of cervical cancer. Due to the compromised Immune system from HIV/AIDS, the human papilloma virus (HPV) is able to raise its head and grow into cervical cancer. Women (and men) are dying daily in epidemic proportions leaving behind young children with no family unit or ongoing focused family care. It is a tragedy. Reducing HPV, cervical cancer and other HPV related cancers in Malawi will allow children to have their parents longer.

Since Malawi is a relatively small country, the world community could take a united stand and STOP the spread of HPV and cervical cancer in Malawi.

We invite you to IMAGINE...., with Malawian government support, to consider showcasing the small country of Malawi as a window to the rest of the world on how Best Practices can be put into place to help reduce the burden of disease and reduce an epidemic and grow a healthy lifestyle.............

The NCCC calls out to the world community to solicit support by the Malawian government and join with them to:

(1) STOP THE SPREAD OF HPV and CERVICAL CANCER BY VACCINATING THE ENTIRE (small) MALAWIAN POPULATION (Girls and Boys) BETWEEN THE AGES OF 7 to 21 with the HPV/CERVICAL CANCER VACCINES.

(2) PROVIDE INEXPENSIVE QUALITY (Pharma.) MEDICATION FOR WOMEN and MEN INFECTED WITH HIV/AIDS.

(3) PUT IN PLACE A SELF-SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR ALL MALAWIAN'S AT AGE APPROPRIATE INTERVALS AT *CHILDHOOD, *ADOLESCENCE, *YOUNG ADULT AND *ADULT AGES ON HEALTH PREVENTION, SAFETY, AND FAMILY.

(4) HELP FOSTER HEALTHY SELF-SUSTAINABLE JOBS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

WHY MALAWI? Why not? Malawi is a small country. Malawi has limited resources. Having the world community, with the help of world industries such as the (A) music industry, (B) Pharma. and Diagnostic/BioTech companies (C) Job creation companies and (D) Healthcare experts, come together and help generate the awareness and resources to WIPE OUT HPV and Cervical Cancer through vaccination and location-appropriate cervical cancer screening, provide low cost HIV/AIDS medicine and ongoing education.

Let's START; TODAY......... with the Malawian governments direction, the vaccination portion of this program to vaccinate 100% of the Malawian youth population and end the cycle of death that hits hard into the Malawian families homes can begin right away! Malawi can be held up as a glowing example of how the world can come together and fight a war together. Let's join hands and fight the war on Cancer and save generations from dying within this small country in Africa. This is a war we can all fight together and win! As success takes root, local African governments, along with other governments worldwide, will take notice of the Best Practices and HUGE Improved Patient Outcomes flowing out of Malawi. And the Milawian children of today and tomorrow will have their parents and families to grow a productive loving lifestyle that is sustainable.

Let us all remember and take action on those famous words of Margaret Mead:

"NEVER DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF THOUGHTFUL, COMMITTED CITIZENS CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. INDEED, IT IS THE ONLY THING THAT HAS."
-Margaret Mead- (US anthropologist and popularizer of anthropology (1901-1978)

Call the NCCC and let's join together.


-Alan Kaye, NCCC CHAIR-