A non-governmental organisation, Hovasabee Youth and Women Foundation, has launched a three-year intervention aimed at providing free pelvic screening for at least 1,000 women by December 2026 and supporting 50 surgeries for women with severe fibroid symptoms by 2027.
The initiative, slated to commence in Nigeria with plans to expand to other parts of West Africa, is focused on promoting early detection of fibroids and related conditions, including polycystic ovary syndrome and endometriosis.
Founder of the foundation, Love Aludo, said the programme would provide free transabdominal pelvic ultrasound scans and pelvic Magnetic Resonance Imaging for women experiencing symptoms that may be overlooked or treated without proper diagnosis.
Aludo, who said the initiative was partly inspired by her personal experience with anaemia, fibroids and angina, urged women to undergo proper medical screening rather than rely on medication without establishing the cause of their symptoms.
“Fibroids are not the disease, they’re the messengers,” she said.
She explained that women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding would also be screened for haemoglobin, iron and ferritin levels to identify possible anaemia and provide information that could guide appropriate lifestyle and treatment decisions.
According to her, early screening could help women understand the causes of menstrual and pelvic problems before they become severe.
The foundation is also using its Dance-Off Fibroids campaign to take awareness to churches and schools.
Through Love316Dance Ministry, the campaign combines dance competitions and gospel performances with health education to raise awareness about fibroids and encourage women and girls experiencing symptoms to seek medical attention.
Aludo said the campaign was necessary because some women’s symptoms were often dismissed as normal or psychological, thereby delaying proper diagnosis and treatment.
She said the foundation’s intervention would go beyond awareness by helping women access screening and, where necessary, surgery.
The organisation is seeking volunteers and contact persons to supervise screening activities in diagnostic laboratories across different cities.
It is also calling on diagnostic laboratories and ultrasound centres to partner with the programme, with the foundation paying for the radiological screening services.
The foundation further appealed to policymakers to make non-invasive pelvic scans accessible and free in senior secondary schools and universities.
Churches, religious organisations, corporate bodies and individuals were also urged to support the awareness campaign, screening programme and surgery costs.
The foundation said its objective was to empower women with information that would enable them to take a more active role in decisions concerning their health.
“We want women to advocate for themselves in hospitals and medical facilities,” the foundation said.
It added that early knowledge of uterine health could encourage healthier choices and improve women’s quality of life.
The three-year programme is expected to continue beyond its initial period, with plans to expand its interventions to other parts of West Africa.
Fibroids are non-cancerous growths that develop in or around the uterus and can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, urinary or bowel problems, painful periods, fertility concerns, frequent urination and pain during intercourse. The severity of symptoms, according to the foundation, may also depend on the location of a fibroid and not necessarily its size.
