A Non-Issue

One of my highlights of our recent trip to the USA was being able to attend the National Women's Health Consensus Conference which was held in Los Angeles.  In the past three years I have acquired a vision for women's health in rural Kenya.  The biggest and most immediate issue that has jumped out at me has been that of cervical cancer.  It is mind boggling that this is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in Kenya when it is so preventable.

My friends who recently launched a hospice program in our area have already shared several sad stories of terminal patients they have or are currently caring for with advanced cervical cancer.

In the last two years I've been able to expand my training and skill set in the area of cervical cancer prevention and early intervention.  I've finished my training period and am ready to begin implementing what I have learned. 

So as I prepared to launch out it in this new area of providing women's healthcare at the village level, it seemed like a perfect time to attend a major conference addressing the latest in issues of women's health.  What surprised me when I received my conference agenda, was that cervical cancer would only comprise of one 30 minute session of this three day conference.

And then it hit me.  In the USA cervical cancer is a non-issue.  You rarely hear of someone dying of this disease.  We have such sophisticated yet simple screening methods that we pick it up before it becomes an issue.  We have the capabilities to do provide early intervention in the form of procedures and minor surgeries in simple office visits.  In-and-out.  Same-day!

There is not a lot of research and ground-breaking news in that area because quite simply, the West has it under control.  It is my hope and my prayer that the day will come in Kenya where we will be able to say "Cervical cancer, that one is a non-issue here!"