Phalombe has successfully almost doubled its PEPFAR screening target of 6,814 to 12,307 representing 181% in financial year 2020 to 2021. This was disclosed by the district’s ART Coordinator Harold Mwaleya at an update meeting held on 8 October 2021 in Salima.
The meeting was convened by the Network of Journalists living with HIV (JONEHA) with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through AVAC under the COMPASS Project. Between March
and May 2020 JONEHA through its trained District Monitoring and Evaluation Committees (DMECs) in the five targeted districts of Mulanje, Mangochi, Chiradzulu, Mzimba South and Phalombe identified issues that among others affected the delivery of cervical cancer screening services in Malawi.
” 12,307 HIV positive women have been so far screened for Cervical cancer since October 2020; reaching 181% of the financial year 2021 target,” said Mwaleya pointing out that in addition to all its facilities the district has introduced two more sites namely Kalinde Health Centre and Phalombe Health Centre.
The District ART Coordinator said the success was largely due to support from partners notably Baylor which has provided equipment and human resource in form of nurses in addition to providing transport to patients who require referrals to MSF for treatment in Blantyre.
In March 2021 the Phalombe Acting Director of Health and Social Services Dr Sam Sibakwe made similar sentiments on the success story. He had said all facilities in the district were providing cervical cancer screening services in which there are 14 trained providers 8 of whom are from the Ministry of Health and 6 are from Baylor.
Dr. Sibakwe mentioned that Baylor among other areas of support provided human resource in form of cervical cancer nurses, cervical cancer supplies, trainings, mentorship, equipment that includes screens, gynae-coaches and head lumps.
He however observed that beside the success there were some challenges such as an existing myth in areas around Nambazo where 50% of cancer suspects opt for traditional treatment, lack of sensitization on availability of the services, health talks without cervical cancer messages, low turn-ups of clients during this COVID 19 period, lack of resources like vinegar and lumps in non-Baylor supported facilities and luck of privacy due to absence of properly designed infrastructure.
