The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environment, and Civil Service Affairs has formally concluded Cervical Cancer Awareness Month with a spiritually significant ceremony at All Saints Pentecostal Kingdom Life Centre on February 1st. The event symbolized a unified national pledge toward enhancing prevention mechanisms, promoting early detection protocols, and fundamentally empowering those who have overcome the disease.
Distinguished attendees included prominent faith leaders, healthcare experts, cervical cancer survivors, and key partners. The gathering featured Minister Sir Molwyn Joseph, Permanent Secretary Stacey Gregg-Paige, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kamaria DeCastro, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Teri-Ann Joseph, and Dr. Cherrie Tulloch, who leads the Cervical Cancer Elimination Task Force alongside her specialized team and additional senior technical personnel.
In his keynote address, Minister Joseph expounded on the month’s thematic focus—”Empower the Survivors”—stressing that true empowerment must evolve from mere awareness into tangible national responsibility and decisive action. “Our assembly in this sacred space marks not just the conclusion of an awareness month, but a reaffirmation of our collective dedication to dignity, prevention, compassion, and the preservation of life,” he declared.
Minister Joseph drew parallels to a biblical account from the Gospel of John, citing the transformation of the woman of Samaria following her encounter with Jesus. He emphasized how she transitioned from personal survival to public service, illustrating a powerful metaphor for patient advocacy. “Rather than retreating into silence, she returned to her community with a message of hope. This embodies the transformation from survival to purposeful service, from personal experience to influential leadership.”
The Minister articulated that this narrative aligns with the Ministry’s public health strategy, positioning survivors as essential collaborators in prevention, education, and systemic transformation. “Survivors are not passive recipients of care; they are active partners whose voices diminish stigma, whose narratives enhance awareness, whose visibility promotes screening, and whose leadership safeguards future generations,” he affirmed.
He further elaborated that empowering survivors constitutes a strategic imperative that reinforces prevention infrastructures, facilitates early detection, and cultivates trust in healthcare services. The Ministry recommitted to expanding access to HPV vaccination, enhancing screening and diagnostic capabilities, ensuring equitable treatment options, delivering comprehensive survivor support, and upholding dignity throughout healthcare experiences.
“No woman should endure a preventable disease, no family should suffer loss due to delayed detection, and no survivor should navigate post-treatment life without adequate support,” Minister Joseph asserted.
In closing, he issued a compelling appeal for collaborative engagement across religious institutions, communities, and the nation to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health threat and to recognize survivors as indispensable partners in forging a healthier future. The Ministry continues to urge women and girls to utilize screening services and HPV vaccinations available at public health clinics nationwide, reinforcing the national strategy toward cervical cancer elimination.