BUJUMBURA, June 16 (ABP) – Journalists have been urged to play an active role in the fight against cervical cancer by raising awareness about reproductive health. This call was made by Dr. Ananie Ndacayisaba, director of the National Reproductive Health Program (PNSR), during a workshop held on Friday, June 13, 2025. The event brought together stakeholders and journalists from the northern and western provinces of the country and focused on the prevention and elimination of the cancer.
Dr. Vastine Niyonsenga Toyota, a gynecologist-obstetrician specialized in colposcopy and cervico-vaginal pathologies, emphasized during the presentation that cervical cancer, caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide.
She revealed that this cancer claims the life of one woman every two minutes globally. Dr. Niyonsenga also noted that the cancer is primarily transmitted through sexual contact.
She cited several HPV co-factors that increase the risk of infection, listing six in particular: smoking, malnutrition, multiple pregnancies, and immune deficiencies such as those related to HIV or kidney transplants.
Regarding symptoms, Dr. Niyonsenga mentioned bleeding after sexual intercourse, vaginal bleeding outside of menstruation, particularly after menopause, purulent vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, digestive disorders such as constipation, and urinary issues like incontinence.
As for prevention, she recommended vaccinating young girls, whether they are virgins or have had sexual intercourse but tested negative for HPV, as a primary prevention measure. She also stressed the importance of detecting and treating precancerous lesions before they develop into invasive cancer.
Therapeutically, several treatment options exist, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, as well as the use of painkillers and IV fluids.
Concerning Burundi, Dr. Niyonsenga noted that cervical cancer is a present threat, with an incidence rate of 26.4 per 100,000 women in 2020. She added that in 2019, 1,500 women died from the disease. She also revealed that during a recent screening program, 3.1% of the women tested were positive.
To combat this scourge, Dr. Ananie Ndacayisaba stated that the Burundian government is putting efforts in place to fight this disease. He specifically mentioned strengthening the capacities of health structures and providing equipment for screening in 15 of the country’s 18 provinces, noting that the remaining three provinces will receive this support in the near future. He recalled that Burundi is aligning itself with the goals of the World Health Organization, which aims for 90% of girls under the age of 15 to be vaccinated by 2030, and for 70% of eligible women to have undergone screening. In this context, the Ministry of Health is planning to begin vaccinating girls aged 9 to 14 starting next year.
Aware of the low level of public awareness about this disease in Burundi, Dr. Ndacayisaba made a call to journalists to actively participate in awareness-raising efforts. He also invited all women aged 25 to 65 to get screened in order to know their health status. Finally, he encouraged parents to have their daughters vaccinated during the immunization campaign planned for next year.
The journalists present had the opportunity to ask questions, which were answered in detail to help them better understand the disease.