HEWRAG CHAMPION
Richard Godfrey
Richard Godfrey is a practicing surgical oncologist with international work that includes Cervical Cancer screening projects in Nepal, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Kenya and Mexico. He also did surgical missions in the Philippines and Tanzania, and did Ebola work in Sierra Leone.
He participates in a hospital building project with the Matibabu Foundation-Kenya serving rural, hard-to-reach, and vulnerable communities. His experiences give him respect for all people that face challenging health related conditions. He served in Nepal-17 Peace Corps, ‘68-’70.
Stateside,
Godfrey was Executive Director for a non-profit Graduate Medical Education program for Surgical Residents and was Chief of Surgery at Kaiser and then joined the Alameda County Medical Center. He serves on the Board of Directors for several organizations and is honored to be a part of HEWRAG. He remains active with PINCC (Prevention of Cervical Cancer Globally) and many local community projects with Niles Rotary - District 5170.
He's an active apiarist in the Bay Area and has published two novels and a non-fiction biographical work on Kenya.
His Beagle, named Darwin, likes to sail on a boat named, of course, the Beagle.
Click here for the Updated Guide for Cervical Cancer Prevention 2023
This Guide is intended to serve as a reference for the types of activities that Rotarians and others can undertake to address Cervical Cancer as a Public Health activity. This Guide is not a medical reference and should not be considered authoritative in so far as medical advice is concerned. Any projects undertaken to address Cervical Cancer Prevention should be conducted in concert with local health authorities and in accordance with local regulations, standards, policies, and practices.Learn more about what we do
Cervical Cancer is a Public Health Problem?
I learned a few things worth sharing.
Immunization is a key strategy to preventing cervical cancer and a number of other
cancers derived from HPV infections, but there are significant challenges, the principal
of which is a shortage of vaccine now and for the foreseeable future.
Examinations of women for the HPV lesions that lead to cervical cancer remain a
challenge because of a shortfall in resources needed for examinations. Fortunately,
this is an easier challenge because HPV genetic testing is rapidly advancing, and most
women can be screened without going through a physical examination. There are
challenges to overcome, but one can easily imagine how many more women can be
examined when 70% can be pre-screened with a simple swab.
Treatment of HPV-caused precancerous lesions is getting simpler through the
introduction of new technologies that are producing the instruments that make
thermo-coagulation a less costly and less cumbersome substitute for cryotherapy.
I have mentioned improvements in testing and treatment, but these are what may be
referred to as the tip of the spear. People are working around the world to solve the
issues with vaccine, to create new technologies, and to raise awareness.
As Rotarians we have the ability to help our healthcare providers make the
elimination of cervical cancer a reality by raising awareness, supporting training
programs, and equipping clinics.
For assistance in developing a cervical cancer prevention project in your community,
contact Richard Godfrey, HEWRAG Director, [email protected]