Gabon’s First Lady Shares Progress in the Fight Against Female Cancers at Commonwealth Meeting
First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba participated in the meeting of First Ladies organized on the initiative of the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, during the Summit of Commonwealth Heads of State. The meeting, which had the theme ‘Together for the elimination of cervical cancer in the Commonwealth’, brought together the wives of Heads of State to discuss the fight against women’s cancers and improving access to early detection of cervical cancer with the objective of accelerating the elimination of this pathology among young girls by 2030.
During the meeting, the First Lady presented Gabon’s experience and progress in recent years in the fight against female cancer. She highlighted the “Acting against cancer” program, which was set up by the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation (FSBO) in 2013. This program aims to improve access to cancer screening, early detection, and treatment in Gabon.
Additionally, the First Lady presented the project to create a National Papillomavirus Vaccination Program in collaboration with the Gabon Egalite program and the Ministry of Health. The goal of this program is to provide greater care for young people by informing and raising awareness among young girls and boys, as well as their parents, about the papillomavirus, its effects, and the possibility offered by vaccination to eradicate it.
Commonwealth First Ladies Unite to Eliminate Cervical Cancer
The meeting of First Ladies organized by the Secretary General of the Commonwealth was a call to action for the wives of Heads of State to unite and eliminate cervical cancer among young girls. The meeting was a platform for the First Ladies to discuss the challenges they face in their respective countries and to share best practices and solutions.
The meeting highlighted the importance of early detection and prevention in the fight against cervical cancer. It also emphasized the need for increased funding, resources, and political will to support the fight against women’s cancers.
