The recent study conducted at King George Hospital has indicated that more cases of breast and cervical cancer have been diagnosed in advanced stages where the survival chance is dim. With an aim to increase the awareness level among women in rural areas, the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) and Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) have charted out a plan to reach out to 7 lakh women at mandal-level through an eight-day awareness programme on the subject, District Collector Solomon Arokia Raj has said.
He was addressing senior public health officers, primary health centre doctors, child development project officers, representatives of the DRDA and the IKP and a team of auxiliary nurse midwife, among other officials who attended the meet from seven mandals as part of the training which began at the Training and Technology Development Centre here at Pendurthi.
“Every woman should know the seriousness of the disease. The campaign aims to reach out to wider segments of rural areas creating awareness at the micro level and help them identify early signs of breast and cervical cancers. Unless we coordinate with each other and work as a team, we cannot control the disease that is increasing at an alarming pace,” he said.
Those who attended the programme will in turn educate ASHA workers, anganwadi workers and representatives of self-help groups where the communication to the targeted audience can be made effectively, the Collector said.
DMHO R. Shyamala spoke on the identification of early signs of cancer and improve the standard of living among rural women. She stressed on the regular screening and explained about maintenance of hygiene and sanitation.
Andhra Medical College’s Associate Professor of Surgery P.A. Ramani gave a power point presentation on the symptoms, risk factors and various stages of treatment related to breast cancer while Padmaja, gynaecologist in KGH, briefed on cervical cancer and the importance of getting the Pap-smear test done as an effective tool to keep a check on cervical cancer.
Project Director of District Women and Child Development Agency A.E. Roberts, DMHO (retired) Narayana Murthy, Additional Project Director of IKP S. Thanuja Rani and District coordinator of IKP T. Govinda Rao were among those who participated in the campaign which concludes on December 16.
