THE 4TH STOP CERVICAL CANCER IN AFRICA CONFERENCE (SCCA) THEME: AFRICA UNITE IN ACTION – MOBILIZING POLITICAL & FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN CERVICAL CANCER PREVENTION THROUGH INTEGRATION. LA PALM ROYAL BEACH HOTEL, ACCRA-GHANA JULY 25 – 27, 2010 COMMUNIQUÉ We, the delegates of the 4th Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa conference and stakeholders in cervical cancer prevention in Africa, do note and acknowledge with great concern the high burden of cervical cancer in Africa and its devastating effect on our population. Though the disease is preventable and curable when detected early in its pre-cancerous stages through primary and secondary preventive methods, the availability of these services is grossly inadequate or non-existent in the vast majority of African countries. National policies and programs, strategies, advocacy for increased awareness on cervical cancer, and mobilization of funding have not been given the attention and prioritization that they deserve. Access to health education programs on cervical cancer and preventive services such as screening and early detection and guidelines for vaccination of girls before their sexual debut, treatment for precancerous lesions, and management of invasive cancer are limited. Even though the advent of an HPV vaccine is a most welcome and promising primary intervention, the cost of the vaccine is prohibitive and, hence, beyond the reach of the majority of the deprived and impoverished African population that is most at risk. It is most welcome news that promising discussions are currently ongoing with vaccine manufacturers and other stakeholders, such as GAVI, to reduce the price of the vaccines and thus make them affordable and accessible to the poor African population. The results of the HPV Vaccines Demonstration project in Uganda sponsored/funded by PATH have given compelling evidence that the vaccine is acceptable and feasible in an African setting. We recognize that affordable and accessible HPV vaccine is a great asset not only to African countries but to all low-resource countries in the developing world. We, however, acknowledge that there are challenges in that advocacy efforts and drives must be accompanied by efforts of African Governments and health partners to make services and other resources available (trained manpower, provision of material resources and establishment of facilities) through budgetary allocation for cervical cancer prevention. A separate budget line for cervical cancer has been a major problem for African Governments, given other competing priorities such as the unacceptably high maternal and child mortality, malaria, Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Nonetheless, given also the unacceptably high mortality and morbidity associated with cervical cancer, a disease that is preventable and curable in its pre-cancerous stages, we submit that an investment in its prevention is certainly cost effective. The Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Initiative emerged from a global conference held in London in 2006. The 2nd SCCA Conference was held in Kampala, Uganda from July 21 – 22, 2008. The Theme of the conference was: “Accelerating Access to HPV Vaccines to prevent Cervical Cancer” and the 3rd SCCA Conference took place in Cape Town, South Africa from July 19 – 21, 2009, with the Conference Theme: “Improve Cervical Cancer Prevention through Vaccination, Pre-Cancer Screening & Treatment”. At the Forum of African First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer, the First Ladies present, commit themselves to working closely with their respective Heads of State, Ministers of Health, Education, Finance and Foreign Affairs, UN missions and civil society leaders to champion greater awareness about the burden of cancer in women and other non-communicable diseases in their respective countries. They also commit themselves to work for improved financing and leadership for the prevention of women’s cancers. The First Ladies also pledge to mobilize their diplomatic and public health leadership to ensure women’s cancer feature prominently this September at the United Nations General Assembly Development Summit on the MDGs and at the United Nations General Assembly High Level Summit on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) scheduled for September 2011. To achieve this, they pledge to work with the international NGOs and development partners. The meeting of Ministers and Parliamentarians from African countries resolve that there should be less talk but rather more action since the burden of cervical cancer has been repeatedly discussed at various fora. They therefore call upon African governments to immediately prioritize and mainstream cervical cancer and its prevention into their national reproductive health policies as has been done for HIV/AIDS and H1N1.The various regional groupings, such as ECOWAS and SADEC, are to spearhead the prioritization agenda and promote it at AU level. As regional economic groups and at continental levels, Governments should advocate for more support from international agencies and also for cheaper HPV vaccines through bulk procurement. Regional groupings should advocate for eventual local production of HPV vaccines. Finally, the Ministers and Parliamentarians recognize the crucial role African First Ladies are playing to “Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa”. End of Communiqué