Meeting with Dr. Comoé Jean Claude KOUASSI, oncologist Dr. KOUASSI is the coordinator of our SUCCESS II project in Guinea. He has co-written a book to inform and raise awareness of cervical cancer.
We had the opportunity to meet him briefly to answer our questions.
What motivated you to write on this subject ?
As a medical oncologist with over 20 years’ experience, I’ve noticed a real lack of information among our populations about cancer in general and cervical cancer (UCC) in particular. In fact, we’ve set up an anti-cancer association, made up of doctors and nurses, to raise awareness of this disease. Ignorance is one of the main reasons for delayed diagnosis. With Agnès KRAIDY, breast cancer survivor and journalist, we decided to make our contribution to raising awareness with a method that is accessible to all, because it is essential to understand that UCC is preventable and curable.
Who is the main target audience ?
This book is aimed at everyone: healthcare professionals, the general public and associations to raise awareness. It’s aimed at anyone with an interest in cancer and cancer awareness, offering information to better understand and talk about this disease.
What are the main messages you wish to convey through your book ?
It’s a question-and-answer book, because it’s important for readers to have clear answers. As scientists, we’re in a position to provide precise answers to those who have questions. The book is therefore organized into five chapters:
- General information on UCC.
- Natural causes of HPV and consequences of the virus.
- Mechanisms of prevention, highlighting the HPV tests recommended by the WHO.
- Treatment of precancerous lesions, emphasizing that cancer does not develop overnight.
- Vaccination against HPV and other HPV-related cancers (anus, vulva, ENT, etc.).
To achieve this, we have brought together the expertise of various health professionals, including oncologists.
How does your book address a public health issue in Côte d’Ivoire ?
In Côte d’Ivoire, UCC is the second most common cancer in women, representing a real public health problem. Unfortunately, the majority of women consult us at a very advanced stage of the disease, where palliative care is often the only option. Ignorance plays a major role in this problem. Through this book, my aim is to raise awareness and help eradicate this problem. To better reach readers, words in different Ivorian dialects are included, and scientific vocabulary is simplified to facilitate understanding.
What message would you like to get across ?
This book is the first step in a process of raising awareness of prevalent cancers in Côte d’Ivoire. After UCC, we’ll move on to breast cancer, the number-one cancer among women in Côte d’Ivoire, and prostate cancer, the number-one cancer among men. I invite everyone to get their hands on this book and understand that UCC is not a fatality, but a cancer that can be avoided.
Where can we find your book ?
My book is currently available in Côte d’Ivoire in bookshops in France and Carrefour bookshops in Abidjan. We’ve also been approached by bookshops in Benin and Togo, so it may well be available in these countries.
