Submission ID 130514
| Issue/Objective | Cervical and prostate cancers remain major contributors to Nigeria's avoidable morbidity. Persistent inequities such as late presentation, low awareness, gendered barriers, and mistrust in health facilities undermine prevention. Project S.H.I.E.L.D sought to restore community confidence and promote early detection by operationalizing a relational SBCC model that centers community voice, local leadership, and trusted primary level care. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Project S.H.I.E.L.D. implemented a community-driven SBCC model in Alimosho and Ikorodu, two cancer-high-prevalence LGAs. The intervention combined stakeholder engagement, community mobilization, multi-channel media, and facility-based screening. Nine consultations with government, traditional leaders, women, and youth secured buy-in and shaped local strategies. Twenty-two trained mobilizers led sensitization tours, directly reaching 9,000 residents, while radio, digital, and social media campaigns extended outreach to over 250,000. Screening was deliberately conducted in both primary and secondary facilities to test trust in service delivery, with 500 residents receiving Pap smears, or Liquid-based Cytology, and PSA tests, and referral pathways established for follow-up care. |
| Results | Several lessons emerged from Project S.H.I.E.L.D. First, trust in facilities shaped service uptake: screening turnout was higher in primary facilities than in secondary ones. Second, gender differences in willingness were evident; women were more likely than men to test and pay for screening. Third, community-led mobilization proved critical: nearly 90% of participants learned about screening from trusted mobilizers, demonstrating the power of interpersonal influence over mass media. Fourth, while willingness to pay for screening and PSA uptake for men rose significantly (women: 23.7% to 53.8%; men: 43.3% to 51.4%) and 7.1% to 15.4% respectively, persistent knowledge gaps remained; 54.7% of women and 49.0% of men still lacked awareness of risk factors. Fifth, 98.8% of women and 89.6% of men screened negative, yet 1.2% of women and 10.4% of men had abnormal results, necessitating referrals. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Project S.H.I.E.L.D demonstrates how trust anchored SBCC and inclusive community structures reclaim agency in cancer prevention. Preference for primary level facilities reveals the necessity of strengthening decentralized, community trusted health points to advance equity. While timelines were short, measurable behavioral shifts reflect a replicable pathway for embedding community leadership in NCD prevention. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Offiong Moore Private Sector Health Alliance of NIgeria Anne Adah-Ogoh Private Sector Health Alliance of NIgeria Offiong Moore Private Sector Health Alliance of NIgeria Tinuola Akinbolagbe Private Sector Health Alliance of NIgeria Muyiwa Olowoporoku Private Sector Health Alliance of NIgeria |
