Aims and Objectives
The broad aim of the society is to promote all activity concerned with management of cervical cancer, from basic efforts at awareness creation, through screening, evaluation, diagnosis and management of cervical cancer/pre-cancer. The society is thus multidisciplinary, encompassing all health care personnel – doctors, nurses, social workers, communicators and indeed all persons interested in cervix cancer prevention and management. This broad base is considered necessary to achieve the purpose for which the society was established, with each group focusing on the individual aspects of the aims and objectives of the society, crystallising in a whole, to the benefit of Nigerians and the sub-region.
History of the Society
The Society was convened by Dr. Olayinka Olaniyan, an obstetrician and gynaecologist. Dr. Olaniyan had developed an interest in colposcopy early in his career as a gynaecologist, starting out at the National Hospital Abuja in 1999. The Hospital, then newly established had an array of modern equipment, including a colposcope and ancillary equipment in every consulting room. However, the hospital at the time had no trained users and indeed very few practitioners that showed interest in the practice of colposcopy.
Dr. Olaniyan and Dr. Zara Mairami, gynaecologist, in conjunction with Professor EJC Nwanna, pathologist, constituted the Cervical Cancer Study Group at the National Hospital in 1999. The group set about providing regular opportunistic screening clinics to clients visiting the hospital. Fortuitously, at about the same time, a newly chattered local Rotary Club, led by President Mrs. Hannatu Atar approached the hospital for technical assistance in its adopted program of cervical cancer screening. This association successfully launched an awareness campaign, produced cervical cancer educational material in English and local language, trained health personnel in screening technique and conducted free screening exercise for women in every Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. Dr. Olaniyan further went on to develop his colposcopy skills at the University of Geneva with Dr. Saloney Nazeer and the Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town in a UICC sponsored fellowship supervised by Prof Lyn Denny. Thus began a weekly colposcopy clinic at the National Hospital.
While the NSCCP was formally incorporated in 2018, the group had embarked on a few activities over the years, concerned with the teaching of colposcopy. A Basic Colposcopy Course was successfully organised in Abuja in 2007, sponsored by the UICC and with International Faculty comprising Dr. Theresa Freeman-Wang (Whittington Hospital London) and Dr. Adeola Olaitan (UCH London). Dr. Olaitan though actively involved in the fellowship grant application, was unfortunately unable to participate in the course due to personal bereavement. This outing had 37 participants from across Nigeria. Following the formal convening of the Society, a one week residential training course on Visual Screening Methods for Cervical Cancer was conducted at the Nigeria Army Officers Wives Association (NAFOWA) Cancer Screening Centre, at the Air Force Base in Abuja in October 2017. Dr. Theresa Freeman-Wang was again on hand as faculty, courtesy of British Society for Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology. It was at this event that the NSCCP was formally inaugurated.
Council members
President: Dr Yinka Olaniyan
Vice President: Dr Paul Jibrin
Secretary: Dr Peter Adefuye
Treasurer: Dr Zara Mairami