A delegation of three Chinese medical doctors on Monday 24 July arrived in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, to help the country fight cervical cancer.
The doctors, who are from China’s Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, are expected to spend more than two weeks offering technical support and training local medical staff on providing better service to patients by sharing skills like screening, management, and diagnosis of cervical cancer.
During the reception, Nadia Rasheed, United Nations Population Fund country representative in Sierra Leone, said cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in Sierra Leone, causing immense suffering and loss to many women and families.
She hailed the Chinese doctors’ good efforts, saying “we are therefore delighted that the medical team is undertaking this visit to Sierra Leone to share knowledge and experience, and to conduct the training.”
Austin Demby, Sierra Leone’s minister of health and sanitation, said tackling cervical cancer is a holistic approach to women’s health in Sierra Leone.
The minister commended the Chinese team for taking the bold step to support Sierra Leone in ending cervical cancer and extended thanks to the Chinese government for supporting his country’s health sector.
According to the minister, as part of the cooperation, a total of 12 Sierra Leonean healthcare providers will travel to China in September for additional training that will enable them to continue to strengthen their capacities to manage cervical cancer in the country.
