The Truth About Cancer Stigma That Could Save Lives | Dr. Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu | TEDxMaitama Women

Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu begins by introducing her multiple roles, particularly as a pediatrician and woman, and shares the story of Amina, a woman with vesicovaginal fistula (VVF)—an abnormal connection between the bladder and urethra that causes women to pass feces involuntarily. VVF is a condition reflecting poverty and poor maternal health systems that persists primarily in low-middle-income countries. Amina was a child bride who developed VVF, and despite proper medical protocol requiring elective cesarean sections for subsequent pregnancies, she became pregnant again naturally, causing her fistula to recur. The speaker explains that VVF patients face significant stigma due to the strong smell of urine, and in Amina's case, this stigmatization compounded when she contracted HIV from her husband and later developed cervical cancer. Dr. Shinkafi-Bagudu emphasizes that women with HIV are six times more likely to develop cervical cancer, which is a totally preventable disease through vaccination yet represents one of the greatest health inequities of our time. She cites alarming statistics: Nigeria sees 7,000-8,000 cervical cancer cases annually with over 90% presenting late and over half dying within the year, while globally the figures show 1.6 million diagnosed cases with 90% mortality. Breast cancer, the most common cancer in Nigeria, similarly affects women who face stigmatization and delayed detection due to lack of economic empowerment, poor healthcare systems, and widespread misinformation that drives patients toward alternative care. The speaker describes how her advocacy evolved from local work to global engagement, ultimately leading her to run for the presidency of the world's largest global cancer organization—a 93-year-old institution that had never had an African president. After losing her first election attempt, she successfully won on her second try, and now aims to bring equity to women in low-middle-income countries and disadvantaged populations including children with cancer, recognizing that systemic change requires long-term commitment and knowledge transfer to younger generations.