The Department of Social Relations at East West University (EWU) in collaboration with the East West University Health and Well-Being Club (EHWC) held a seminar on cervical cancer awareness on 27 February. The seminar, chaired by Professor Dr. Md. Mobarak Hossain Khan, featured external speakers Dr. Sanjida Ahmed Soma and Dr. Marzia Zaman Sultana. The seminar aimed to raise awareness among young females of reproductive age, who are a vulnerable group for cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer has become a major public health problem in Bangladesh, with an increasing number of patients, related deaths, and case fatality rates. In 2022, over 660,000 women were estimated to have been diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide, and about 350,000 women died from the disease. Bangladesh has a population of 64.0 million women aged 15 and older who are at risk of developing cervical cancer.
Dr. Sanjida highlighted the World Health Organization’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative, launched in November 2020, with the goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2100. To achieve this, all countries must reach and maintain an incidence rate of fewer than 4 new cases of cervical cancer per 100,000 women per year. Three key pillars and their corresponding targets are vaccination, screening, and treatment.
The seminar ended with a vote of thanks from the program chair, emphasizing the importance of public awareness of cervical cancer and its vaccination, especially for young adults. Female students were eager to learn and asked many questions about the topic. The seminar was a valuable opportunity for the EWU Health and Well-Being Club to raise awareness and accelerate the pace of elimination of cervical cancer.