LUTH Holds Quarterly Hospital Grand Round on Cervical Cancer
The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) today, Wednesday, 26th November, 2025 held its quarterly Hospital Grand Round, featuring an in-depth, multidisciplinary review of cervical cancer prevention and control in Nigeria. The session, hosted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, brought together clinicians, researchers, nurses, and public health experts to examine current realities, challenges, and actionable strategies toward the elimination of cervical cancer in line with global targets.
Delivering the lead presentation titled “Towards Cervical Cancer Elimination in Nigeria: Lessons, Challenges and Future Directions,”Dr. Temitope Adekanye defined cervical cancer as a malignant tumour originating from the cervix uteri, arising from abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth that may progress silently in its precancerous stage. He emphasized that the primary cause of cervical cancer is persistent infection with high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) strains, transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse and oral sex.
Presenting the epidemiological overview, Dr. Adekanye highlighted that sub-Saharan Africa recorded an age-standardized incidence rate of 33.4 per 100,000 women in 2022, with Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini, Tanzania, and Lesotho having rates above 40 per 100,000. He noted that cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in 21 of 48 SSA countries.
On Nigeria’s burden, Dr. Adekanye reported that 60.9 million women aged 15 and above are at risk. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Nigerian women, with an estimated 12,075 new cases and 7,968 deaths recorded annually. He stressed that millions of women still lack access to HPV vaccination. However, he acknowledged the Federal Government’s ongoing phased introduction of the HPV vaccine, with 16 states included in the first rollout and 21 states added in 2024, supported by 6 million vaccine doses expected to save up to 71,000 lives yearly.
He also shared LUTH-specific data, noting that the mean age at diagnosis is 55.3 years, with 82.9% of patients presenting at late stages, and a mortality rate of 30.5 per 100 women-years based on a 2023 study
The second presentation, delivered by Dr. Ephraim Ohazurike, reinforced that cervical cancer is both preventable and curable when detected early and treated promptly. He projected an increase in the global annual incidence from 57,000 cases in 2018 to 70,000 by 2030, with associated deaths rising from 311,000 to 400,000. He highlighted that over 85% of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries, with young, uneducated women bearing the greatest burden. Women living with HIV, he noted, are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer.
* 90% of girls fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15.
* 70% of women screened by ages 35 and 45.
* 90% of women with cervical disease receiving appropriate treatment
He reported that achieving these targets could reduce cervical cancer incidence by 42% by 2045 and 97% by 2120, preventing over 62 million deaths globally. He reiterated WHO’s recommendation of a single-dose HPV vaccination regimen (2022), replacing the earlier two-dose schedule.
In her presentation, Senior Nursing Officer Ekene Jane noted that cervical cancer remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria and emphasized the pivotal role nurses and midwives play in its prevention and early detection. She highlighted that cervical cancer is preventable through HPV vaccination and routine screening using methods such as Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA), Pap smear, and HPV DNA testing.
SNO. Ekene stressed that community engagement is essential to improving awareness and understanding of cervical cancer, dispelling myths and misconceptions, reducing stigma, and encouraging women to seek timely screening and vaccination. She explained that nurses serve as frontline educators and advocates for women’s health by providing accurate information during clinic visits and outreach activities, mobilizing communities to participate in screening programs, offering counselling, and supporting HPV vaccination campaigns.
Presenting the hospital’s community engagement strategies, she highlighted regular outreach to markets, churches, mosques, schools, and local communities; collaboration with NGOs to provide mobile screening services; and the integration of cervical cancer awareness sessions into antenatal care (ANC), postnatal care (PNC), and family planning clinics.
The final presentation, “How Nigeria Can Shape the Global Cervical Cancer Elimination Agenda,” was delivered by Dr. Adeyemi Okunowo. He commended Nigeria’s progress, referencing the establishment of the National Strategic Cancer Control Plan, the National Cancer Research Agenda, and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment.
Dr. Okunowo called for expanded grassroots implementation across LGAs, increased investment in treatment infrastructure and personnel, enhanced stakeholder and corporate sector participation, and intensified public education campaigns to drive attitudinal change. He also emphasized the need for sustainability of current political will, expansion of the National Cancer Health Fund, broader universal health insurance coverage, and inclusion of private health facilities, responsible for 60% of healthcare delivery, in national elimination strategies.
The LUTH Hospital Grand Round underscored that while cervical cancer remains a significant health threat, elimination is attainable through coordinated national efforts, community engagement, robust vaccination and screening programs, and sustained political and institutional commitment. The event reaffirmed LUTH’s leadership in research, advocacy, and clinical care, as well as its dedication to working with stakeholders locally and globally to advance cervical cancer prevention and control for Nigerian women.
