January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

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Clinicians attended a training hosted by Basic Health International where they learned cervical cancer screening and treatment techniques.

It is my belief that no woman should die of a preventable cancer, and my hope that you will join Basic Health International and myself in supporting this cause. --Dr. Miriam Cremer, President and Founder of BHI

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 29, 2013

Cervical cancer is a slow-progressing disease caused by persistent infection by the carcinogenic strains of the human Papilloma virus (HPV). Through screening and early detection, as well as the initiation of vaccine programs, invasive cervical cancer is preventable. Considering these facts, any death as a result of cervical cancer is even more tragic.

Furthermore, cervical cancer disproportionately affects those in developing countries. There is a seven-fold variation in the incidence of cervical cancer between the different regions of the world, with rates ranging from 5 per 100,000 in Western Asia to 35 per 100,000 in Eastern Africa in 2008, and nearly 90% of new cases occur in developing countries.

Basic Health has been working to prevent cervical cancer since 2005 in Latin America and the Caribbean. Specifically, BHI has worked in El Salvador, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic & Haiti. BHI is currently working with the Salvadoran Ministry of Health to launch a screening program using the innovative careHPV test, training health promoters to raise awareness in communities, and training healthcare providers in screening and treatment techniques.

Unlike other cancers affecting women, the cause of nearly all cervical cancer is known and the disease is preventable. To learn more about cervical cancer and the work that is being done by Basic Health to prevent it, please visit basichealth.org

About BHI
Basic Health International (BHI) was founded in 2005 with a mission to eradicate cervical cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean. We utilize our expertise in women’s health to provide clinical training, research and public policy guidance in the field of cervical cancer screening and treatment, particularly for women in low-resource settings. Our offices are located in New York City and San Salvador, El Salvador.

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