The mortality rates of cervical cancer in Malawi are among the highest in the world. Our teams, in collaboration with the Malawian health authorities, implement a comprehensive approach to the disease, aiming to improve access to prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Our treatment activities are based at Queen Elizabeth Central hospital in Blantyre, and we have screening units integrated in health centers in several districts of the Southern region.
Activities cover all stages of the disease, from prevention of human papillomavirus infection with health promotion and vaccination, to pre-cancerous and high-grade lesions, progression into invasive and metastatic cancer, and end-of-life care. As radiotherapy is not yet available in the country, we have started sending some patients to Nairobi.
In Chiradzulu district, offered a comprehensive package of care to children, teenagers and some adults living with HIV. This includes counseling, peer support, individual psychosocial support, and sexual and reproductive health care, in addition to antiretroviral treatment. The project closed and we handed over activities to health authorities in July 2023.
In 2022, we began supporting two community-based organizations providing services for sex workers. Our teams provided support with HIV testing and treatment, and access to preventive measures for the disease.