Event details
- Date: September 1 – 6, 2025
- Time: 08:00 – 17:00
- Venue: Yaoundé – with the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (CHU)
- Cost: Selected participants
- For: Doctors, nurses, midwives and pathology professionals
- Status: Completed
Quick contact
Event overview:
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in Cameroon, yet it is one of the most preventable. Screening can detect precancerous lesions years before they turn into cancer, and simple treatments can stop the disease in its tracks. Keeping our teams’ skills up to date is therefore essential for a hospital dedicated to women.
From 1 to 6 September 2025, YGOPH professionals took part in an international training on cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment, organised with the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG, Switzerland) and the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital. Our head of anatomical pathology, Prof. Zacharie Sando, contributed as a trainer, while Samuel Lele, head of our operating theatre service, and Yvette Assondjeu, state-registered nurse, took part as participants.
The training was designed to have an immediate impact, just a few weeks before Octobre Rose, the month dedicated to women’s cancers, when many women come forward for screening.
Highlights
International partnership
A collaboration with Geneva University Hospitals and the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital.
Screening techniques
Visual inspection (VIA/VILI), cytology and HPV-based screening.
Screen and treat
Treatment of precancerous lesions so that women are cared for without delay.
YGOPH as trainer
Our head of pathology shared his expertise with participants.
Programme
- Day 1 – HPV and cervical cancer: How the disease develops, HPV vaccination and the burden of cervical cancer in Cameroon.
- Day 2 – Screening methods: Visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol’s iodine, cytology and HPV testing.
- Day 3 – Colposcopy and pathology: Reading and interpreting results, from the clinic to the laboratory.
- Days 4 – 5 – Practical sessions: Supervised screening and treatment of precancerous lesions.
- Day 6 – Evaluation and next steps: Skills assessment and plans for putting the training into practice.
Who should attend?
- Gynaecologists and general practitioners involved in screening
- Nurses and midwives who perform VIA/VILI
- Pathologists and cytotechnicians
- Procedure-room and operating theatre staff
Practical information
- Venue: Yaoundé, in partnership with the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital (CHU).
- When: Monday 1 to Saturday 6 September 2025.
- Cost: Participants were selected by their institutions.
- Register: Training enquiries: contact@hgopy.cm.
What was achieved
Our participants returned with updated skills that were put straight into practice in our screening and treatment activities, starting with Octobre Rose 2025. The training also strengthened the links between YGOPH, Geneva University Hospitals and the Yaoundé University Teaching Hospital, opening the door to further collaboration in the fight against cervical cancer.
Questions & answers
Can I be screened for cervical cancer at YGOPH?
Yes. Our gynaecology service offers VIA/VILI, Pap smears read by our own pathology department, and colposcopy when needed, Monday to Friday, 07:30 – 15:30.
Who should be screened?
Women aged 25 to 65 should be screened regularly, even if they feel well. Your doctor or midwife will tell you how often you need to be tested.