Insights: Reducing Cancer Burden through Community Engagement & Behavioural Change

Moderator:
Tijesu Ojumu – Communications Coordinator, eHealth Africa

Panelists:
Salahudeen Ardo Sambo – Project Manager, HPV Intensification, eHealth Africa

Dr. Shalom Nanle Dam – Medical Doctor, ChemHealth and Diagnostic Center

Muhammad Ribado Jibrin – State Health Educator, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Board

Summary

The 39th edition of the Insights Webinar Series, hosted by eHealth Africa, focused on the theme “Reducing Cancer Burden through Community Engagement & Behavioural Change.” The session explored practical strategies for improving HPV vaccination uptake, strengthening early detection systems, and building community trust to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in Nigeria.

Drawing from the HPV Intensification Project implemented by eHealth Africa and UNICEF in Kano and Bauchi States, Salahudeen Ardo Sambo highlighted the importance of a bottom-up, community-driven approach. He explained that the intervention prioritized co-creation with adolescent girls, caregivers, teachers, and community leaders to ensure that messaging reflected local realities. Emphasizing multisectoral collaboration, he noted that “Health is everybody’s business,” pointing to the strong partnership between the health and education sectors as a key driver of increased vaccine uptake. Through school-based and community-based edutainment activities, teacher training, and strengthened outreach logistics, the project significantly expanded access to HPV vaccination.

Providing a clinical and systems perspective, Dr. Shalom Nanle Dam addressed the importance of early detection and the need to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system. He described the country’s healthcare structure as an “inverted pyramid,” where tertiary facilities carry the greatest burden of care—often for cases that could be managed at the primary level. He stressed that misinformation and stigma remain major barriers to screening uptake, reminding participants that “Knowledge is power.” Dr. Dam also emphasized the role of psychosocial support, noting that creating safe spaces where patients feel heard can reduce fear and encourage early care-seeking behavior.

From a community mobilization standpoint, Muhammad Ribado Jibrin underscored that effective engagement goes “beyond giving information.” He explained that sustainable success depends on involving trusted gatekeepers such as traditional rulers, religious leaders, ward development committees, women’s groups, and youth associations. Through advocacy visits, town hall meetings, market outreaches, and radio programs in local languages, communities can address deeply rooted misconceptions and build trust in public health interventions.

Collectively, the panel reinforced that reducing cancer burden requires more than clinical services. It demands coordinated partnerships, strengthened primary healthcare systems, behavioral change communication, and sustained community ownership. The session concluded with a call for continued collaboration between government agencies, development partners, and communities to close vaccination gaps, scale early detection, and ensure equitable access to cancer prevention services across Nigeria.

The webinar concluded with a call for continued collaboration between government agencies, development partners, healthcare providers, and communities to close vaccination gaps, scale early detection services, and ensure equitable access to cancer prevention and care across Nigeria.