The first set of community and clinical training on cervical cancer prevention will take place in Wonsho district of Sidama zone

After many months of planning, Grounds for Health’s Ethiopia program kicks off this month with the first set of community and clinical trainings on cervical cancer prevention.

If successful, these activities will make Wonsho the first rural district in all of Ethiopia to offer ongoing cervical cancer prevention services.

On September 1, field staff Abiy Semunigus and Ashenafi Argata formally took their posts as Community Coordinator and Program Coordinator, respectively. Starting this week (September 15), they will be joined by US-based program managers Kyle Engelman and Ariel Delaney along with nurse practitioner Susan Hollinger and two clinical volunteers.

The trainings will take place in the heart of the coffee-growing region—in Wonsho district of Sidama zone—and will conclude with a four-day screen-and-treat campaign serving approximately 250 women. If successful, these activities will make Wonsho the first rural district in all of Ethiopia to offer ongoing cervical cancer prevention services.

The eventual goal? Eliminating cervical cancer in Ethiopia. It is no small task, but with the help of our partners, the Sidama Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union, Ferro Co-op, and the Wonsho and Sidama Health officers, we are confident that this month’s activities will set us on the path towards success.

Source: http://www.groundsforhealth.org/2014/09/grounds-for-health-ethiopia-launches/