In Uganda, millions of women are unable to access needed sexual and reproductive health services due to poverty, gender disparities, and healthcare gaps. Cervical cancer, a preventable disease, is the most common form of cancer among Ugandan women, with 4,607 women dying from the disease each year, and only 10% of women ages 30-40 having ever been screened. A majority of women in the rural West Nile Region of Uganda lack knowledge about cervical cancer, are out of reach of health facilities, and experience shame or stigma associated with being screened at a public health facility for a disease related to their sexual and reproductive health. 

ODW is partnering with Partners in Community Social Action (PICSA) to decrease the prevalence of cervical cancer in Moyo District through at-home screening and treatment of cancerous lesions. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, PICSA will train 200 Community Health Workers (CHW) to conduct awareness sessions on cervical cancer, reproductive health, family planning, sexual rights, and sexually transmitted infections. CHWs will also go door-to-door to educate 2,000 women about screening, offer at-home screening tests, and analyze the results of the test. Additionally, the project will support the purchase of two thermocoagulators – machines that treat lesions on the cervix to eliminate the spread of cancerous cells. PICSA will train 50 health professionals to use these instruments.