UKZN’s Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) partnered with KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Health (KZN DoH) to conduct a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and mass screening campaign in KwaMashu, Durban.
UKZN’s Head of O&G, Professor Motshedisi Sebitloane, said cervical cancer was the second leading cause of women’s death and was associated with significant morbidity. However, it was highly preventable through screening for pre-cancerous lesions.
“Screening is traditionally performed through pap smears for cytology, however, since 2024, the DoH has introduced HPV testing as the primary mode of screening. The latter is recommended by the World Health Organization as more women who carry the high-risk subtypes can be identified and triaged for care.”
Sebitloane said: “KZN is one of the provinces that has rolled out HPV screening throughout all its facilities, with the campaign also hoping to result in an increased uptake for screening.”
The campaign targeted the “PINK” areas (Phoenix, Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu) which use services and facilities at Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital.
Campaign preparations included community mobilisation, transport arrangements with planned patient transport (EMRS) and laboratory support using the National Health Laboratory Service facilities. Health workers were mobilised, including UKZN final-year Medical students, with about 30 volunteering to be part of the campaign which screened more than 1 000 patients on the day.
Several Medical students commented on the campaign:
Ms Khanyisani Gumede: “I was keen to participate in the campaign. As part of the team, I helped conduct pap smears, filled out lab forms and gave guidance on healthy sexual practices. The experience was enriching but I was struck by the lack of awareness about cervical cancer among the women we attended to. This experience has motivated me to continue advocating for the health and education of our people, particularly in the area of cervical cancer prevention and detection. I believe that by working together, we can create a healthier and more informed society, where our mothers and women can thrive.”
Ms Mercy Selapa: “The cancer screening campaign reminded me why I chose this profession – to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. During the campaign, I had the privilege of interacting with patients, educating them and doing several pap smears. I hope that initiatives such as this will become more frequent and reach other communities throughout the country.”
Ms Nombuso Masuku: “The campaign meant a lot to me. I saw people suffering from cervical cancer and presenting at late stages and it was comforting to know that the disease could still be treated. I was also happy to see that many people had taken the initiative to visit and be part of the project. The highlights for me were getting to do a lot of pap smears and interacting with patients, getting to understand their fears and misunderstandings regarding cervical screening and providing them with information to help calm their fears.”
Ms Bandile Mhlongo: “The campaign was a very meaningful experience, enabling us to reach women who may not always have access to essential health services. Seeing the appreciation from patients reminded me why community engagement is so important. My highlight was being able to interact closely with patients and assist with health education. I also had the opportunity to do pap smears which also helped me sharpen my skills in that area. I hope it is possible to expand such initiatives to reach more communities in need.”
Ms Andile Mkhungo: “The campaign created awareness and gave women access to important screening services. It was inspiring to see patients being cared for and empowered to take charge of their health. My highlight was engaging with the women and seeing how appreciative they were. I hope we can continue reaching more communities in the future and involve Med students other than those in their final year of study.”
Sebitloane said the DoH conducted mass campaigns to support ongoing cervical cancer screening which was free at all public health care facilities. “A woman attending the event said she and colleagues hadn’t heard about the screening programme, and for the majority of the patients, this was their first experience,” said Sebitloane.
“Every effort must be made to eliminate the disease if we are to align with the WHO targets of 90-70-90-90% of young girls receiving HPV vaccines, 70% of eligible women being screened and 90% of those with abnormal findings being treated.
