February 20, 2004

Dear Friends,

Please receive a written report with three attached photos describing a recent workshop on preventing cervical cancer held at Ekwendeni Hospital in Malawi.

Workshop Report – Preventing Cervical Cancer in Malawi (PCCIM)

Ekwendeni Hospital
February 2 - 5, 2004

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Malawi. This usually fatal disease can be prevented by a simple, inexpensive, and noninvasive test called “visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid,” abbreviated VIA. Before an actual invasive cancer tumor becomes established on the cervix, there is a period of ten to twenty years when a pre-cancerous lesion can be found on the cervix.

A workshop to teach the method of VIA to health care professionals in the northern part of Malawi was held at Ekwendeni Hospital from February 2 to 5, 2004. Dr. Sue Makin, obstetrician/gynecologist at Mulanje Mission Hospital in the southern part of Malawi, felt that it was especially important and urgent to introduce cervical cancer screening to this part of the country because there is no gynecologist north of Lilongwe.

The first two days of the workshop were held at the meeting hall of Ekwendeni School of Nursing. Two documents were presented as an aide to learning the anatomy and physiology of the cervix, the epidemiology of cervical cancer and its risk factors, and the technique of VIA and cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is the technique of using an instrument to freeze abnormal areas of the cervix. A digital projector was available to project digital images of the cervix magnified on the wall for all the participants to study together.

The rest of the workshop was dedicated to practical experience in visualizing the cervix and applying vinegar to look for precancerous lesions. Recruitment of clients for screening was done through the Reproductive Health Unit of Ekwendeni Hospital. By the end of the workshop, all participants were challenged and encouraged to continue sensitizing the population about this disease and the technique of preventing it.

Participants at the workshop included:

Chande, Mary; Ekwendeni Hospital
Gondwe, Yonah; Ekwendeni Hospital
Mkandawire, Chettie; Kamuzu College of Nursing, Lilongwe
Mughandira, Jestina; Ekwendeni Hospital
Nkhoma, Alice Y.; Mzuzu Central Hospital
Nthakomwa, Hilda; Mzuzu Central Hospital
Nyemba, Mrs. Adraida; David Gordon Memorial Hospital, Livingstonia
Nyirongo, Albert; Ekwendeni Hospital
Soko, Josephine; David Gordon Memorial Hospital, Livingstonia
Stevenson, Dr. Maureen; David Gordon Memorial Hospital, Livingstonia

Dr. Sue Makin
Obstetrician/Gynecologist

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 58