The Israeli Embassy in Nigeria has collaborated with Peramare Medical Services Limited to provide free cervical screening tests for 1,000 women using the innovative Illumigyn Gynescope device.
Ms. Deinma Sekibo, Managing Director, Peramare Medical disclosed this while speaking on the sideline of the 2023 International Women’s Day (IWD) in Abuja.
Sekibo said that providing free cervical screening testing for women was in line with the goals of the Peramare-Illumigyn Africa initiative to eradicate cervical cancer in Africa.
She said that the initiative seeks to achieve this by screening two million women in Africa annually by supplying the Illumygyn Gynescope free of charge to healthcare facilities across the continent, as well as subsidizing the cost of the test.
“This is a collaboration between Peramare Medical and the Illumigyn company which is an Israeli-based femtech company. So it is feminine technology hoping to address issues that affect women.
“So, our plan is to increase access to screening that is in line with what we have done today by donating 1,000 Free cervical cancer screening tests using the Illumigyn gynescope.
“What the Illumigyn gynescope. does is it allows you to visualise the cervix identify suspicious lesions and helps in diagnosis of cervical cancer with a quicker turn around time
“It is not just for that (cervical cancer screening) we can use it for other gynaecological examinations irregardless of what you want to see.
“For the 1,000 free tests, women are to report to Planned Parenthood and they will link them to St. Catharines and the testing will be done free of charge.
“Our goal is to test two million women annually in the whole of Africa. And our goal is to actively work to eradicate cervical cancer
“The thing about cervical cancer is that it is treatable, so long as you detect it on time. So really, what we want is to raise awareness of the importance of testing, which is go to your gynaecologist request a test and check your cervix just to make sure that nothing is going on.
“Usually every three years, as long as you’re sexually active.
“We are at the point of creating awareness, reaching out to stakeholders, and looking for partners really, in this project.
We are partnering with a number of clinics and St Catherines is one of them. So we are signing clinics on, we are signing on organisations.
“We already have a bit of a partnership with Planned Parenthood at this point in time, and we hope to partner with more organisations going forward especially NGOs,” Sekibo said.
Israeli Deputy Ambassador to Nigeria, Inbar Garden said that the Embassy is promoting the project knowing the importance of a woman’s health care.
Garden said that as the world continues to call for actions to accelerating gender parity, making standard, accessible, and affordable healthcare for women across the African continent should not be underestimated.
“Like I said in my speech, I think a woman’s survival is something that is very important. One of the things that need to be improved is women’s health.
“And this is why we choose to promote this project because I think it is very important. And if we put effort into health care, we can only go higher from there,” Garden said.
Also speaking, Dr. John Okoye, an Obstetrician/Gynecologist with St Catherine’s Clinic, said that the innovative Illumigyn machine will advance testing and accurate diagnosis of cervical cancer in women.
Okoye said that novel technology with high-resolution images and magnification of the cervix also allows the patient to see whatever is going on inside the cervix alongside the doctor.
“It is an equipment that is useful for the screening and diagnosis of cervical screening and can be used for other things as long as the challenge is within the vagina and the cervix.
“I want to thank Peramare for launching this, it was delivered to use free of charge, and it is going to be a life-changing equipment for a lot of women.
“And I equally want to encourage every woman who is up to twenty-one years old, sexually active really need to have her cervix screened.” Okoye said.
