By: Saidu Jalloh
The Government of Sierra Leone, under the leadership of President Julius Maada Bio, has intensified its efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery and reduce the financial burden of overseas medical treatment by significantly expanding cervical cancer prevention and care services across the country.
Speaking during the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press briefing at the Miatta Conference Centre, Dr. Jalikatu Mustapha, Deputy Minister of Health II, announced that the Ministry has now established 24 cervical cancer screening and treatment sites nationwide marking a major milestone in the fight against one of the deadliest diseases affecting Sierra Leonean women.
Dr. Mustapha revealed that from January to date, the Ministry has operationalized at least one cervical cancer site in every district, in addition to seven centres in the Western Area Urban and Rural districts.
Each site is fully equipped and staffed with five trained health workers, enabling women to receive same-day screening, diagnosis, and treatment.
“The amazing thing is that when women come in, they are screened, diagnosed, and treated that same day,” she said. “This prevents early changes from progressing into full cervical cancer that could cost lives.”
She added that women who test negative also receive preventive counselling, which significantly reduces long-term risks.
One of the most transformative achievements, she emphasized, is the development of local capacity for cervical cancer surgery previously accessible only through expensive medical travel. “Before now, women had to go to Ghana and spend between $7,000 and $8,000 for surgery,” Dr. Mustapha explained. “We now perform these surgeries weekly with a local team that was initially supported by Dr. Wickham and is now strengthened by Sierra Leonean specialists.”
This breakthrough directly supports President Bio’s agenda to reduce outbound medical referrals, retain healthcare expenditure within the country, and ensure that Sierra Leoneans access quality care without financial hardship.
Dr. Mustapha also disclosed that the Ministry is working to establish patient hostels to support women from remote communities who require extended treatment.
She stressed that the government’s overarching goal is to prevent women from ever reaching advanced stages of cervical cancer. “Our focus is to ensure women do not reach the advanced stage of this disease,” she said. “Early prevention is simple, affordable, and lifesaving.”
Without sustained prevention efforts, she warned, cervical cancer could become the leading cause of death among Sierra Leonean women within the next 10 to 20 years.
Reflecting on her personal motivation, Dr. Mustapha shared that the fight against cervical cancer has deep personal significance. “My grandmother died of cervical cancer 19 years ago,” she said. “That is why this fight is personal for me.”
She commended President Bio’s unwavering commitment to women’s health, noting that he has consistently instructed the Ministry to strengthen cancer prevention and treatment programmes.
“His Excellency has said repeatedly that we must not lose more women to cervical cancer, and we are determined to deliver on that mandate,” she added.
The Ministry aims to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat within the next 10–20 years, in alignment with global WHO targets. This year’s major expansion of services represents the most comprehensive cervical cancer response in Sierra Leone’s history demonstrating the government’s commitment to saving lives, strengthening the health system, and drastically reducing the need for costly medical treatment abroad.