Cervical cancer is the biggest cancer killer of women in Uganda, claiming over 2,400 lives. Over 3,500 further women are diagnosed with it every year. The second most common women’s cancer issue is breast cancer, which over 1,100 Ugandan women die of each year.

In order to tackle both these issues, the Uganda Women’s Health Initiative has been offering health education, cervical and breast cancer screening in and around Kampala, the capital of Uganda, since 2006.

All services are provided free to the women and include screening for pre-cancerous lesions on the cervix and preventative treatment by cryotherapy – which uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue.

A total of 11,130 women have so far benefited from free cervical screening by the Uganda Women’s Health Initiative. Nearly 440 cases of cervical cancer have been prevented, by diagnosing and treating pre-cancerous legions, and 62 cases of cancer have been diagnosed before becoming more advanced.