Nimba County, Liberia
November 2025
“It’s time to lend a hand…to life, the greatest gift of all.”
We Are the World
“I lost my aunt to cervical cancer. Seeing her suffer was unbearable, knowing that the situation was hopeless and there was nothing I could do. That’s why I decided to advocate for prevention programs that offer hope to vulnerable women.” Joyce Kilikpo, Executive Director, Public Health Initiative Liberia
Joyce’s very personal story about cervical cancer inspired Project HANDS to lend a hand. For many vulnerable Liberian women, it was a gift of life.
Drs. Anand Thomas, Brigitte Weber and Katrin Denkinger were the heart, soul and driving force behind the outreach.
Cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable, yet WHO estimates that the annual worldwide burden is 660,000 new cases and 350,000 deaths.
Liberia faces one of the highest burdens globally. It is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths. Lack of awareness and screening capacity are major contributors to the prevalence.
Under the auspices of the Women’s Health Initiative, a Project HANDS team traveled to Nimba County to set up screening clinics in Karnplay City, Bahn, Sacleapea and Ganta.
We proudly partnered with Public Health Initiative Liberia, highly compassionate health providers with a deep understand of the challenges of the region, and a passionate commitment to cervical cancer prevention.
Upskilling and capacity building are core mandates of Project HANDS. To that end, local nurses and midwives dedicated themselves to mastering the screening and treatment protocols.
“I learned so much that will enable me to help women who, until now, had no access to screening.” Lawrence, RN
625 women were screened, most for the first time. 25 received potentially life-saving thermal ablation treatment for pre-cancer cancer dysplasia. 5 were referred for additional evaluation and treatment.
“This is my first screening. If my friend had this opportunity, she might be alive today. Thank you for caring about Liberian women.” Beatrice, age 44
Statistics measure our achievement, but it is humanity at its very best that defines our success.
“My father instilled in me the importance of kindness, compassion and service to humanity. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Dr. Katrin Denkinger
Project HANDS’ work is possible because of our dedicated volunteers and generous donors.
Visit www.projecthands.org to learn how you can support equitable healthcare for some of the world’s most underserved communities.
Please scroll down for a gallery of images from the trip.
“I took the road less traveled…and that has made all the difference.” Robert Frost
Visit www.projecthands.org to learn more
and connect further with our efforts.