Cervical cancer program in Bururi Province Cervical cancer is one of the most serious threats to women's lives. ACCORDING to WHO estimates, more than one million women worldwide currently suffer from this cancer. In most of these women, the diagnosis has not been made and most of them do not have access to treatment that would cure them or prolong their lives.   The disease is one of the deadliest forms of cancer for women, with more than 270,000 deaths per year, 85% of which occur in developing countries, although it is easily preventable. 
Cervical cancer is a public health problem in the world in general and in Burundi in particular. In 2008, new cases worldwide were estimated at 529,000 with 274,000 deaths, more than 85% of which were in low-income countries, mainly among young women. 
 In Burundi, cervical cancer is the first gynecological cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women. In 1994, this cancer accounted for 47.7% of all cancers in women.  So it is on the rise in our country. Precancerous lesions accounted for 10% of women in routine gynaecological consultations in 2000 compared to 16% in 2008. The lack of the screening program and the lack of adequate management services for cancer cases in general mean that more than 70% of women consult at an inoperable stage and as a result, the morbi-mortality associated with cervical cancer becomes more important.
However, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine offers a great opportunity to significantly reduce the global burden of cervical cancer and has just been introduced into the range of vaccines of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI) in Burundi.   The Rumonge  and Ngozi ricthealth s  benefits have been selected to implement the pilot project to introduce this new vaccine in all countries. The national scale-up of HPV vaccination will be carried out from 2019 after the pilot phase is evaluated.  
Awareness-raising actions for prevention, screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of cervical cancer, still in the pilot phase, Cordaid is supporting the Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control via the NSNP to develop a communication strategy on the prevention, screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix through the pilot start-up project in  Rumongeprovince.
In the process of developing the pilot project for RumongeProvince, the Director of the NSNP  suggested that Cordaid  start  this project at the same time, if financial opportunities permit,  in  two provinces of Rumonge and Bururi so that Burundi would be adequately covered for cervical cancer screening and treatment.
It is in this context that Cordaid wants to expand this pilot project in bururi province. General objective is the reduction of morbi-mortality associated with cervical cancer. 

Specific objectives: 

*	Ensuring that key community stakeholders are educated about cervical cancer prevention and screening, 
*	Strengthen the technical capacity (HR and equipment) of services involved in the detection and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix and finally, 
*	Strengthen collaborative links between stakeholders in the detection and treatment of precancerous cervix lesions In Bururi province, 10 health facilities (FOSA) from 3 hospitals (Bururi, Rutovu and Matana) and 7 health centres will be involved in the project to prevent, screen and treat precancerous lesions of the cervix. These FOSA will be  equipped with equipment and consumables  essential for visual inspection screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix.

*	The target group for this project is mainly women of childbearing age (22.7% of the population: 87,987 women), women aged 30 to 50 in the matana and Bururi health districts; 
*	To convey awareness messages to the general population and especially women,  information/communication will be carried out against administrative, community and religious leaders, women's associations, community health workers and health professionals;  
*	Training will be carried out for health care providers involved and community health workers on cryotherapy screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix for health care providers, and on the communication strategy for the prevention, screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix for CSA;
*	The final beneficiaries are all the inhabitants of Bururi province in general.