Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
+234 812 293 9984
info@actrustfoundation.org
Health intervention is the heart of the ACT Foundation’s work and our goal is to facilitate better healthcare services for the vulnerable and marginalized groups in our society. Our health intervention seeks to promote sustainable solutions in the areas of Malaria, Cancer (Breast, cervical and prostate), Maternal and Child Health and Water Sanitation and Hygiene. We believe that if individuals live healthy lives, they can be empowered to lift themselves out of poverty and be productive members of society.
Sebeccly Cancer Care was founded in 2006 to reduce inequality in cervical cancer screenings and reach underserved communities that have little or no access to healthcare due to poverty.
Every year, more than 14,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer with about 80% of them presenting with advanced diseases and complications which require advanced treatment. The lack of awareness, the prohibitive screening costs and the lack of state-wide, coordinated screening programs have significantly contributed to the low uptake of screenings in Nigeria with screening services barely covering 9% of the entire population. These barriers are among the reasons responsible for the high diagnosis rate as well as the 8,000 cervical cancer deaths reported every year.
These barriers are among the reasons responsible for the high diagnosis rate as well as the 8,000 cervical cancer deaths reported every year.
Over the past seven years, ACT Foundation has supported Sebeccly to improve access to cervical and breast cancer screenings, treatment and survivorship services for girls and women in communities in Lagos and Ogun state. As cervical cancer stands as the second most frequent cancer among women in Nigeria, early detection remains critical to supporting improved health outcomes for girls and women.
The TimetoScreen and Breast Health Check Friday program has offered screening services including clinical breast examination, Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) and Visual Inspection with Lugol’s Iodine (VILLI). Equipment utilised during the earlier programs, including a colposcopy and cryotherapy machine, provided immediate treatment of cervical abnormalities.
The ACT Foundation grant has enabled Sebeccly Cancer Care to reach over 30,000 women and girls with screening and patient navigation services. Each grant cycle has allowed for learnings which have led to improved screening processes.
Women found to be in the pre-cancer stage have been referred for follow-up investigations which have contributed to an increase in positive outcomes. As a result of health talks given at the community level, Sebeccly has been able to demystify and remove the fear associated with the disease.
Targeted communities have also developed an improved understanding of cervical cancer leading to an improvement in health-seeking behaviours. Sebeccly has also maintained partnerships with local governments to put in place screening programmes that support increased access for women.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sebeccly pivoted from carrying out screenings to developing an online support group known as the SOAR Champions program, which simplified cancer care through patient engagement and education. The program provided an instant connection for patients and survivors to access cancer coping resources, oncologists, and a network of survivors.
Over the past five years, their outreaches have shown that there is still so much work to do within the nation, as about 70% of women they engaged had never been screened before with a majority of them lacking knowledge about cervical cancer.
Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation is a grant making organization established in 2016 to support local, national and regional non - profit organizations working to address challenges and associated vulnerabilities across the African Continent.
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