I am Nancy Akello, a resident of Nambieso sub-country in Apac district. I sell fish for a living and have been living with HIV/AIDs for the last five years. I want to sincerely thank RHU for bringing cervical cancer screening and family planning services to our community. Since we live in remote areas, we have to travel long distances to access any health services every time we fall sick. I appreciate the RHU staff who considered our community for outreach services. The first time I heard about cervical cancer screening was through a Village Health Team (VHT) member who was mobilising our community for cervical cancer screening. She said a team of health professionals would be visiting to provide these services. I was anxious because I know news about cancer diagnosis is a death sentence, but I was determined to go for a test. The midwife provided health education and I was counseled in the consultation room before screening. The news of a positive result was scary. The midwife counseled me and referred me to Apac regional referral hospital where the doctor made a decision to remove my uterus. I had a big lesion that had eaten up my cervix and the cancer was spreading fast. Luckily, I already had six children and I was not going to have any more. I am grateful that with the medical care from RHU and the regional referral hospital my health got better and I will be able to take good care of my children.
