On April 14, 2023, the ECEWS ACE5 team organized a virtual Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with Local Government Area (LGA) Managers to strategize ways to increase cervical cancer screening rates to 95%. The outlined initiatives involve training GoN service providers, activating screening services in DARF sites and creeks, aligning screening with ART refills, tracking consumable supplies, creating multilingual IEC materials, and ensuring real-time documentation on reporting platforms.

Additionally, 31 user-friendly Thermal Ablation devices from USAID were delivered, and health workers received training from E2SI and certified State Ministry of Health individuals. A three-day training in Akwa Ibom State, following WHO and PEPFAR standards, bolstered the capacity of 70 health workers in cervical cancer screening and treating pre-cancerous lesions.

As part of the practicum session, thirty-four (34) clients were checked for cervical cancer. Overall, the training was successful in demonstrating participant capacity growth and led to the creation of useful training slides for future use.