Abuja, Nigeria – On June 3, 2025, the Federal Government of Nigeria officially launched the Partnership to Eliminate Cervical Cancer in Nigeria (PECCiN)—a strategic national initiative aimed at tackling one of the most preventable yet deadly diseases affecting women in the country.
The high-level launch event, held at the State House in Abuja, brought together key stakeholders, including First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Chairman of the National Task Force on Cervical Cancer Elimination Professor Isaac Adewole, and Dr. Walter Mulombo, outgoing WHO Nigeria Resident Coordinator. Also in attendance were national leaders, development partners, and Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder and President of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa.
In her remarks, Mrs. Saraki highlighted the urgent need for action, noting that cervical cancer claims the lives of approximately 8,000 Nigerian women each year, despite being largely preventable and treatable.
“By embedding HPV vaccination access and advocacy with cervical screening education into our frontline care, we are ensuring that no woman is left uninformed or unserved,” she said.
The PECCiN initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s 90–70–90 global strategy, which targets 90% HPV vaccination coverage, 70% cervical screening coverage, and 90% treatment access by 2030. The goal is to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health concern.
Mrs. Saraki, a Global Champion for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), welcomed the launch as a “timely, unified opportunity for collaboration to deliver transformation at national scale.”
The launch of PECCiN marks a significant step forward in Nigeria’s public health response, reaffirming the country’s commitment to women’s health, health equity, and collaborative action against preventable diseases.
