More than 8 Physicians, Directors of Health Units, SILAIS management team, 11 professional nurses responsible for the component of timely detection of gynecological cancer from the eight municipalities of the department of Jinotega, a Gyneco-obstetrician, a Cytotechnologist and a Medical Pathologist, participated in the second Nicaraguan course on Cancer Control in Women.

This course constitutes a continuation of a process initiated by MINSA and Movicáncer in 2008 in RSJ’s SILAIS; Its purpose was to strengthen the managerial capacities of health managers in order to improve the quality of the MINSA strategy in taking Pap smears, the main screening method for the early detection of cervical cancer, visual inspection with acid acetic acid (VIA) and the early detection of breast abnormalities that allow women early access to treatment in order to contribute to the reduction of mortality from these causes. A relevant fact is that cancer claims more lives of Nicaraguans than dengue, HIV and malaria combined.

The objective of the event reflected the mission of the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health, in promoting the improvement of available human talent, through cooperation between institutions, in order to improve the competence of professionals and achieve better results, in the fight against cancer in the Woman. This effort in the department of Jinotega was supported by AECID and Movicancer Nicaragua, “We appreciate the support of Movicancer and AECID for reinforcing MINSA’s strategy to serve the population more and better with care and quality. We celebrate the enthusiasm and commitment of health workers to improve the care provided to the population, expressed Dr. Eduardo Canales General Director of Health of the SILAIS of Jinotega and added: “we must remember that behind the figures or statistics in cancer there is a woman, who in addition to being a wife is a mother”. I conclude.

The Early Cancer Detection component is a public health program designed to reduce the incidence of malignant tumors in women and the mortality they cause. For this reason, MINSA has established a free Pap smear test in all its health centers and health posts and, together with this, screening for the detection of breast abnormalities in order to detect tumors when they can be treated, helping to improve the quality of care. life of the Nicaraguan woman.

In Nicaragua, an average of 13 new cases of cancer are detected every day; a year, 4,970 and of these, some 3,046 cases correspond to the female sex (61%) and 1,924 are registered in the male sex (39%). Cervical and breast cancer are the main cause of death in Nicaraguan women, which is why MINSA with the support of AECID in Nicaragua and Movicáncer have decided to strengthen the capacities of the directors of health units in order to improve the strategy of early detection and meeting the care needs of the population, especially of all women in the face of this terrible disease”, said Mr. Benito Martínez Granera.

Dr. Juan Almendarez, coordinator of the course and professor at UNAN-León, commented on the importance of the course as follows: “This course is a milestone for MINSA, because in addition to being the second experience in the country, current issues were developed and aimed at improving the management skills of doctors and nurses who direct cancer control programs in health units”.

Among the topics developed were: epidemiology of cancer, early diagnosis and management, systemic approach to health care, planning for results, social management in health, analysis of results, respect for privacy, among others; all, with the purpose of deepening the Family and Community Health Model (MOSAFC).

In addition, Dr. Almendarez announced that SIVIPCAN v2.0, an innovative tool designed by Nicaraguan talent, was successfully implemented and was awarded Latin Excellence by the American Cancer Society in 2008. “In the entire Central American and Caribbean region, there is no similar program, which focuses on surveillance for the prevention and early care of pre-malignant lesions in women” he pointed out.

This program will be gradually implemented in the country’s SILAIS, under the direction of the Ministry of Health (MINSA).

WHO IS AT HIGHER RISK OF GETTING CERVICAL CANCER

In principle, every woman can develop cancer, but the chances increase when:

1. You have never had a Pap smear.
2. She starts having sexual intercourse before she is 18 years old.
3. She has many sexual partners.
4. She does not use the condom or condom in every sexual relationship.
5. She has a sexual partner who in turn has other partners.
6. She has or has had human papillomavirus (HPV) or genital warts.
7. She has or has had a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
8. It is between the ages of 35 to 60 years.
9. Smoke